Were you choosing a weekend that you desperately wouldn’t want to be without the only guy who’s been consistently hitting, it’d be the weekend you head to the home of the arch-rival that leads the division.
Alas, the Cubs are going to have to make it work for at least another game without the reigning MVP, as Kris Bryant was a late scratch last night (whew, Cubs still pulled it out), and he’s likely out again today.
Joe Maddon didn’t offer too much in the way of details, only saying that Bryant was scratched last night immediately before the start of the game with an illness because he could tell Bryant wasn’t feeling well, and that Bryant “cannot” play today (Tribune). Hopefully an extra day to rest and get it all out of his system will be enough, and Bryant can be back out there on Sunday.
The Cubs are banged up right now, with Jon Jay – who’d replaced Bryant in the lineup last night, by way of some shuffling – leaving the game with back spasms, Jason Heyward already on the DL (knuckle), and Addison Russell limited to pinch hitting duty last night due to a sore shoulder. With Bryant out, and if Jay is also out, the Cubs are kinda playing with a two and a half man bench right now. Not ideal for a series in St. Louis, and it’s not out of the question that the Cubs might have to make a roster move to get another body up before too long.
The Cubs face Carlos Martinez today at 3:05pm CT, and hey, he’s really tough on righties anyway, so maybe it’s an OK day for Bryant to get extra rest? (*He says knowing how insane that sounds …. *)
