Rockies outfielder Kris Bryant has spent most of the 2024 season on the injured list, and his latest trip to the shelf due to a strained back began early last month. Manager Bud Black provided an update to reporters (including Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post) regarding Bryant’s status prior to the club’s game against the Brewers yesterday, and it seems to be possible that Bryant won’t return from the IL before the end of the year.
Black indicated that Bryant’s back, which is plagued by chronic disc problems and severe arthritis at this point in his career, is doing “better” and that the 32-year-old is “feeling good” at this point, but there’s been no indication that Bryant has resumed baseball activities at this point. With just three weeks remaining in the regular season and the 53-90 Rockies eliminated from playoff contention, it’s not clear if Bryant will be able to return this season. Black’s comments on the matter backed up that assessment as he described Bryant’s status as “questionable,” referencing the term used in the injury reports of other sports leagues like the NFL, while acknowledging that the club is “running out of time” to get Bryant back onto the field.
If Bryant doesn’t return to the field this season, he’ll finish the year with just 37 games played and a lackluster .218/.323/.301 slash line in 155 trips to the plate this year. The former superstar once seemed to be on a Hall of Fame track when he won NL Rookie of the Year in his debut 2015 season before following it up with the 2016 NL MVP award, but after slashing .278/.376/.504 (134 wRC+) in the first seven years of his career with the Cubs and Giants his career has taken a nosedive due to injuries ever since he signed a seven-year, $182MM deal with the Rockies prior to the 2022 campaign. He’s only been able to play 159 games in the three seasons since he first donned the purple and black, with a disappointing .250/.332/.381 (88 wRC+) line during that time.
According to Saunders, it’s unclear whether there would be regular playing time available to Bryant down the stretch this year even if he were to make it back from the injured list. Michael Toglia has locked down first base in Bryant’s absence after hitting a scorching .255/.368/.516 with ten home runs in his last 47 games, and Nolan Jones won’t be vacating left field to make room for Bryant either as the 26-year-old searches for the form that earned him a fourth-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting last year amid a down season.
It’s possible he could find playing time between right field and DH if he returns, but with 14-year Rockies veteran Charlie Blackmon in the midst of what could be the 38-year-old DH’s final season in Colorado and top 100 prospect Jordan Beck trying to establish himself as an option for the club in right field headed into 2025, it’s not difficult to imagine a scenario where Bryant struggles to find playing time even if he were to return to the field before the 2024 campaign comes to a close. That said, there have been starts in the outfield corners afforded to bench players like Jake Cave and Sam Hilliard in recent weeks that Bryant could theoretically take on if he were to return to the roster in the coming weeks.
You don’t ever really come back from “chronic disc problems and severe arthritis”.
The greatest thing that was to be, never wasn’t. Sad to see it.
I’m not sure if there’s an easy way to check such information but has a team ever won the World Series with zero hall of famers? The 2002 Angels are the only one off the top of my head I think that might but all the young studs on that 2016 Cubs teams really faded out after leaving Chicago except for Schwarber
The 2005 White Sox are close. They had Frank Thomas but he only played like 10 games that year and did not play at all in postseason due to injuries.
Doublecheck me here, but neither the 1981 or 1988 Dodgers have a HOF unless you count Lasorda, though in the latter case it’s possible Hershiser gets in eventually.
As for the 2016 Cubs, I think there’s still a decent shot for Jon Lester, and an outside shot for Chapman and Joe Maddon (if we are counting managers).
Regardless, your point about young players and prospects holds. You just never know.
Decent shot for Lester? Are you still blind Mr. Charles?? I don’t think he’s got a snowball’s chance in summer, but I could be wrong.
Orel Hershiser was on the 88 Dodgers.
The 2015 Royals. Nobody jumps off the page as a Hall guy for them either.
Sal Perez is the only guy that has a chance but he seems more like a hall of very good. Currently sitting on 35.5 WAR at the age of 34.
Most guys in the Hall have at least 50 plus WAR.
That Royals squad played the quintessential ‘team’ game. No real stars, just a good group.
I think Perez gets in tbh. Catchers seem to get a slight pass on WAR (pretty sure Posey and maybe even Molina are below 50 WAR and they 100% deserve to get in even if it’s not first ballot).
Perez is getting in, he has meant so much to KC and stayed there even when the team was horrible
Posey’s career was cut a little short and was a 50+ WAR guy if it wasn’t. He was excellent for virtually his entire career. Voters will likely take that into account.
Molina is seen by some as a catching god and his intangible value will be considered.
Both probably get in when adding those outside factors.
(Posey had 44.8, Molina had 42.1)
Perez will likely play a great many more games then Posey while producing about the same value and doesn’t have the same intangible value as Molina.
To me, he’s at best a coin flip, but I lean to him not getting in.
Assuming he never leaves, the one team thing will be a point in his favor, for sure.
Canuck
“Assuming he never leaves, the one team thing will be a point in his favor, for sure.”
Definitely hope the voters are smarter than to give credit for that
Also both Molina and Posey were one team guys. Really think both of them are top 15 catchers of all time and deserve to be enshrined.
@DodgersBro I agree it shouldn’t matter but there’s some sort of mystique in sports about staying with one team
It’s actually amazing to be that good and go out at the age he did on his own terms. Was only 34 his last season. Most guys want to seem to hang on as long as possible.
Staying with one team has always been a feather in a player’s cap. It only makes a difference if the player’s career already puts him close to enshrinement.
84 Tigers had no HOFers for over 30 years. Morris and Trammell eventually got in by committee.
Hopefully the injustices done to Whitaker and Grich are one day fixed and Sweet Lou can join them.
@Tigers3232 the HOF needs to get a few 2B in. Whitaker, Grich and Kent all should get in imo
My mind instantly goes to the 2015 Royals. All solid players but Sal and maybe Cueto are the only two that I think will get any serious consideration.
@Garebear for me Johnny Cueto is the poster boy for Hall of Very Good (same for Jon Lester tbh). I think Perez gets in but it wouldn’t be some shocking travesty if he didn’t
Great signing by Rockies
Mike Hampton was too…
That Hampton signing was clutch…
… for the Mets
The Rockies signing Kris Bryant for 7 years and $182 million was always one of the all-time stupid signings in free agency history. Colorado is getting exactly what they deserve from signing him to that money ….. Nothing!
They traded Arenado for nothing and just gave all of the savings created from the trade to Bryant for him to not play.
Has to be the worst series of decisions by a front office in the history of the sport.
Resigning Alex Rodriguez offer he opted out. Yankees competed with no one and probably didn’t preform any physicals or drug tests.
I wish I could go ahead and get my $250 I’ve got coming from Draft Kings for my preseason beat on K Bryant HRs (19.5). I took the under lol
I am now angry that I wasn’t smart enough to take that action. Easy money!
Damn I should do that with Mike trout next year
And it’s WAY under 19.5. Too bad you didn’t tease it down to 10 HR’s and cash in even more!!
The un-redeemed portions of Bryant and Mike Hampton’s contracts alone (today’s value) would fund the education system of the Denver school system that Hampton spoke so fondly of for the next century.
Say it ain’t so! Next your gonna tell me Trout is hurt again!
“Rockies outfielder Kris Bryant has spent most of his Rockies career on the injured list”
Fixed it for you…
I have to think the Rockies will get rid of Bryant this offseason, kind of like a Chris sale situation but the only difference is sale was actually worth something and Bryant is not
Send him to atlanta? Houston? Back to SF? Seattle? Even both Chicago teams?
Then his new team convinces him to restructure that contract in exchange for a starting gig?
I doubt that the Rockies will be able to trade Bryant because not only would the other 29 teams not want to pay what is owed on the contract, but they also would not want to use up a valuable roster spot. In all likelihood, if the Rockies want to move on from Bryant, they will just have to eat the remainder of the contract.
A lot of things about Kris Bryant have been questionable for quite some time now.
What has been questionable? The guy has back issues which is unfortunate. Not really seeing anything that’s not absolutely clear or would leave one to question.
His availability has been questionable. His contract. His OPS.
His contract has been clear since the day it was signed, nothing to question there. As far as his back there’s really nothing questionable either. Once people suffer damage to their backs they often have issues for the rest of their lives. Especially athletes considering the physical nature of their jobs.
As far as his OPS, again his back is injured. That tends to affect one’s physical performance. The lineup he’s in doesn’t help either.
Wow. I can’t believe he’s still on the front end of that contract.
Should he really be pushing his body to play with severe arthritis and a column of herniated discs?
There has to be some sort of way he still gets paid and doesn’t count against the Rox payroll because his quality of life, money aside, is only going to get worse as he ages if he continues to force the issue.
Obv. I’m not a doctor nor seen his medicals, Bryant also claims that he has bone spurs along his spinal column. I mentioned a season ago that he could probably medically-retire if he wanted to.
On Bryant’s locker there is only a sign with a calendar that says “will return March 2028”
Has Chris Getz secretly been running the Rockies, too? Angels, Rockies, & White Sox just can’t seem to figure out basic practices in MLB.
Players sign these absurd contracts and play like crap. No wonder owners are gun shy.
What a disastrous contract that was, I’m glad my Mets didn’t sign him lol
Ditto for the Phillies as there was some smoke about him teaming up w/ Harper. Then POOF that signing was announced?
Talk about a team competing w/ itself for his services….?
Bryant changing agencies would greatly improve his health.
Some years back Fangraphs had an article asking if KB had a chance for the HoF. As a Cubs fan, even I had to pump the brakes on that talk as I clearly remembered one of their articles talking about how big bodied guys like him age very poorly.
I loved KB for all he did in Chicago. I’m sorry, Colorado, that this is the version of the player you got. It sucks to see him this way. He used to be damn good. But that was a long time ago.
Like it matters.
As the saying goes, “Caveat Emptor.”
I wonder how the Cubs fans about the Cubs failure to sign Bryant, Rizzo & Baez? There were some angry fans back then.