Kris Bryant left in the middle innings today, replaced by Javier Baez in left field, and folks immediately wondered if it had something to do with the two times he was hit by pitches.
As it turns out, it didn’t, but that’s not necessarily great news. The stated reason for the removal, from the Cubs: “Kris Bryant left today’s game to be evaluated after rolling his right ankle running the bases in the 3rd inning.”[adinserter block=”1”]
Bryant scored from first on an Anthony Rizzo double, and, watching the play, you don’t immediately see anything too bad. Bryant stayed in the game for the top of the fourth, but then came out in the fifth. Hopefully it’s a matter of getting him out before it got worse, especially in the cold, while simultaneously getting a chance to get Baez some exposure in the outfield.
We’ll probably know a little more after the game or tomorrow. No use in speculating too much now.
UPDATE: We know better than taking early medical results and getting too high or too low (remember when Kyle Schwarber was dealing with a sprained ankle?), but so far the news is not nighmarishly bad on Bryant:
Maddon says Kris Bryant went for an MRI on his right ankle. They're calling it a mild sprain
— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) April 28, 2016
#Cubs Bryant to undergo MRI on ankle as precautionary move. Has a mild ankle sprain
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) April 28, 2016
[adinserter block=”2″]Bryant will apparently be evaluated further, and his status for tomorrow’s game is uncertain.
I’m sure folks would be plenty happy if this was a “take a day or two off, kid” kind of thing, so I’m not altogether worried about his status for tomorrow. I’m already assuming he’ll get the day off. Whether it’s more serious than that is what I’m waiting to know. It tentatively looks good on that front, but it sounds like we won’t know more until tomorrow at the earliest.