NEWSLETTER
We don’t know the particulars yet, but Kris Bryant has been pulled from tonight’s game. No, I don’t think it’s a hug watch situation, and instead I worry about an injury for a key player who was really turning it on lately. (Ditto Javy Báez, who was a late scratch with a thumb issue.)
In the first inning, shortly before the Cubs started scoring, Bryant dove back into second base to avoid being doubled off on a Willson Contreras liner. It was one of those hard impacting slides where you worry about the wrist and the fingers, AND he also appeared to get stepped on by Jean Segura. Bryant stayed in for a couple innings, but then was pulled for Patrick Wisdom.
We will update when there’s word on exactly what happened, but for now, hold your breath. Maybe it was just a small thing, and with the state of the team and the five-run lead, the tiebreaker was just to sit him down out of caution? Yeah, I’m trying to talk myself into less nervousness, aren’t I?
UPDATE: Oh, ok:
Cubs announce that Kris Bryant exited with right hamstring tightness.
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) July 8, 2021
So, good that he didn’t break a bunch of fingers, I guess, but not good that hamstrings are bad, man. Just be about being extra caution on any feeling of tightness. Let him sit through the All-Star break if necessary. Please just don’t be an actual strain.
