The Rockies made a few moves before tonight’s series opener in Arizona. Most notably, Kris Bryant is headed back to the injured list. Colorado placed the former MVP on the 10-day IL, retroactive to August 11, with a back strain. Colorado recalled rookie outfielder Jordan Beck in his place. The Rox also brought up righty Bradley Blalock, whom they acquired from Milwaukee in the Nick Mears trade, while optioning southpaw Josh Rogers to Triple-A Albuquerque.
Bryant goes on the injured list for the eighth time in his Colorado tenure. It’s his third such stint of the season. Bryant lost a month last year to a different back strain. He dealt with another core issue this summer, as an internal oblique strain kept him out between June 3 and July 23. Bryant hit .277/.352/.340 over 13 games before landing back on the shelf.
Since signing with Colorado on a seven-year free agent deal, Bryant has hit .250/.332/.382 across 671 plate appearances. He has appeared in 159 of the Rox’s 443 games (just under 36%) since signing. That’s not the only reason that Colorado is headed for a fourth consecutive last place finish, yet it’s hard to envision a much worse start to the biggest free agent investment in franchise history.
Colorado has alternated Bryant and Charlie Blackmon between right field and designated hitter over the last few weeks. Blackmon is at DH with Jake Cave and Sam Hilliard splitting the corner outfield work tonight. The 23-year-old Beck — a former top 40 draft pick out of Tennessee — rejoins the group and should probably get regular playing time down the stretch. Beck hasn’t hit over his first 23 major league games, but he’s raking at a .319/.402/.558 clip over 39 contests in Albuquerque. That’s excellent production even in an extremely hitter-friendly setting.
As for Blalock, he’s in position to make his team debut. He has made two starts with Double-A Hartford since the trade. Blalock made his big league debut with Milwaukee in June. He has otherwise spent the season in Double-A, turning in a 4.36 ERA over 18 starts. He could work as rotation depth or in a long relief capacity for whatever time he’s on the MLB roster.
Bryant on the IL?? Wow. Impossible
Didn’t even know he wasn’t on the IL
When did he find out about his weak back ?
About a week back.
As surprising as Trout by now.
How could they tell?
lol Bryant lasted a month? Seems like less than that since last injury.
Paxton and Bryant calling out to Rendon, “one of us, one of us…….”
Water is wet.
Actually, water isn’t wet. It’s a liquid that makes things wet.
Paleobros
Water = liquid
Liquid = wet
Therefore water = wet
Technically it’s sticky
It’s only sticky in NJ.
In other news, the ocean is deep and the sky is blue.
He was active before?
Muting all four of you for saying the same thing in different ways.
Sensitive Bryant stan/Rockies fan is sensitive.
But considering it’s the Rockies you can understand why.
Why do people announce they are muting people? Nobody gives a crap.
So shouldnt you just mute the 3 who came after the original?
Mute yourself, Mickey. Or Trevor. Or filihok. Or whatever you called yourself before. Or whatever you’ll call yourself next. You go through MLBTR accounts like most people go through underwear.
Unless you’re clicking along at about a 70% mute rate this place is brutal. BRUTAL! Ahahaha!
Kris I think it’s time you retired from the game. Be a hitting coach.
But…
can he pitch?
He’s got another four years @ $27m/year on his contract. He’s not going anywhere unless they release him or eat his contract in a trade.
Why? He’s getting free money from the rox
It’s the Rockies way.
He has 108,000,000 reasons not to retire
I’m not upset. I’d rather Bryant spend the rest of his contract on the IL than in the lineup. And I am saying that even after he has been really hot the past couple of weeks. The Rockies have a lot of young outfielders on the way up and Bryant just clogs the way. I don’t mind Blackmon blocking just because he is an all time Rockie and he should be around as long as he wants, but Bryant is still a Cub in my mind.
Bryant hasn’t even given you guys a full season, it’s hard to root for a guy that’s never there. At least Blackmon gave you some quality years during meaningful times…
Every year is meaningful to me because the prices to watch the games are the same every year. And I devote the same number of nights watching those games. Winning is nice, but I enjoy watching the Rockies regardless of outcome.
True, I just meant the playoff years that Blackmon was a part of. Didn’t mean to diminish your investment as a fan.
I take no offense, Just pointing out that I am not a fair weather fan. Cheers man.
Warden, did you used to be “The Mayor of Section . . .?”
Pete,
No, only other username I’ve gone by is acoss13.
I just cannot believe Kris Bryants struggle’s and how much he’s getting injured. I really feel bad for him and for the Rockies organization. I hope he gets better soon, and is able to compete at a high level, and I hope he is successful soon. I think as fans of this great sport, that we encourage these athletes and are positive as I have admittedly learned with Mitch Garver. After I heard Garver’s story, my heart definitely changed. We forget, me included, that these people are human beings like all of us, with our human faults and struggles, and we need to be uplifting and positive with one another, and remember each other’s dignity. I’m sorry for being so hard on many of these players, and the coaches/GM’s as well. I wish Bryant, his family and his team the best.
Dude has dehydrated discs, arthritis, and bone spurs in his lower back. He could probably medically-retire if he chose to. By keep trying to play, he’s really jeopardizing his future health. It’s not rosy for his remaining MLB career unfortunately.
What a breath of fresh air here. Well written and thoughtful. Kudos to you, sir.
YBC- What future career?
There are obvious limits, but anyone that gets paid a gazillion $$$ has to be open to public scrutiny.
I can’t believe that Bryant is 5 for 38 against LHP. He’s not even viable as a short side platoon DH at this point.
He’s always been fragile since he first missed a bunch of games in 2018. But it is as if his muscular system is allergic to living in mountain air.
Some guys are career mlbers, some career minor leaguers and some career ILers ( Rendon too)
I never knew he came OFF the IL.
He’s hurt? Time to trade him for Javy Baez!
Isn’t it funny but not really once they got their big contracts that they are both constantly hurt and ineffective? The Cubs knew the right time to get rid of both of them.
Death, taxes, and Bryant to the IL. Some things never change.
Copy Paste
Did everyone else just say “Lol” out loud?
He’s softer than baby poop
Wait he was off of it?
DFA or cut and let him sign with contending team.
I believe Fleeced is the correct term by the Boras Corporation.
Kris Bryant doesn’t join the Injured List. The Injured List joins Kris Bryant.
I just hope he’s healthy when I got to Denver next month when the cubs go to coors.
This is getting to Rendonian levels. He needs to just get the back surgery. I feel bad for Rox fans but that was a dumb contract from the start.
I thought this was a rerun and they needed to change the channel.
What a chump.
I’m shocked! Would be great to see Bryant and the Rockies reach some type of buyout agreement but will never happen since Borass and his greedy ass wont leave a dime on the table. This only ruins it for future older free agents as the only two ownets dumb enough to overpay anyone are Cohen & Moreno… does not leave much room for aging stars
You betcha the Rockies would love to medically retire Kris Bryant…if only he was a west coast Peace Officer.
I’ve felt for sometime now that MLB needs to restructure it bargaining agreement simply based on situations like this. It’s not just MLB but the Sports world in general.
Having contracts like Bryant, Trout, Rendon etc. Have crippled some franchises for years without having a way out. You see this in the NBA as well with Ben Simmons and host of others.
I dont believe contracts should be fully guaranteed anymore. If players miss a certain amount of time over a certain amount of seasons, the team should have an opt out just like the players get. I’m for rights of the players, however, the teams represent the brand and they also need some level of protection as well.
You’ll have a better chane at this if you propose to pay off the bad contracts out of a common pot, meaning teams ‘group self-insure’ against any one team taking a massive hit.
Of course, that only incentivizes more bad contracts, but the MLBPA will never go for your idea.
—Besides, why shouldn’t individual teams take the hit for idiotic signings? And why can’t each team insure against catastrophic injury to guard against bad luck in the rare case where a huge contract goes south for unpredictable reasons?
I mean, who didn’t know signing Bryant for $182m wasn’t imbecilic?
Who didn’t know that Trout was already missing 25 to 50 games a season?
Who failed to understand that post=peak players decline quickly?
I’ll tell you why I’ll “never say never” Jack, although profesdional sports has traditionally been a money machine going back well over 100 years, only in recent years has the question of declining popularity and sustainability entered the conversation.
Am I saying baseball in particular is dying? Not exactly. However, I am saying the sport is hypothetically living in a house that depends strongly on the continuous support (and growth) of the sport.
As a whole, baseball has the oldest fan base in North America. It’s not attracting the younger viewers and the top athletes either.
It’s food for thought my friend. An eventual change seems inevitable. Look in contrast at the NHL, that league had to change it’s financial direction to survive. Is it an exact perfect parallel? Maybe not, but baseball isn’t niche with the youth either.
Having contracts like Bryant, Trout, Rendon etc. Have crippled some franchises for years
===========================
Or, and just conjecturing here, don’t have teams sign bad contracts.
Or, have teams trade away bad contracts before they become too onerous.
Bryant was one of those contracts where everyone thought it was an overpay. The day it was signed I suggested that the Rox offer to trade him to the RS, and including a check for $52M. That is how much he was overpaid. Obviously I way under-estimated just how bad the contract was, but I don’t have a lot of sympathy for bad owners.
OMG this dude must be made of glass. How can he even show his face in the clubhouse. WORST signing EVVVVVVA!
Pretty sure Chicago still loves ya KB. Hope you get better. Once a cub always a cub.
I should have bet more on the under 19.5 HRs for Bryant, but I’ll take the $250 I got coming at seasons end.
He’s right up there with Rendon No interest in playing a total malingerer. His injuries are always one that can’t be proved. Oh, my back. You see, guys like Harper fight to get back in the lineup early.This guy gets a scratch and it’s see you in a few months.