This nightmare definitionally has to end soon, but it’s going to terrify us incessantly until then.
Today’s installation features Kris Bryant trying to beat out a double play, slipping on a wet first base, and rolling his ankle (and also awkwardly bending his bad knee). He had to be helped off the field after this play:
Kris Bryant leaves the game after this awkward play at first pic.twitter.com/q3tAX0d3KR
— Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) September 22, 2019
You don’t need me to pretend to be a doctor here, as you can see the ankle fully rolled. Even if it’s “OK,” that baby is gonna hurt something fierce – as we just saw with Anthony Rizzo.
Incidentally, Rizzo had to help Bryant off the field:
Rizzo and JHey walking KB off the field is my whole heart breaking. pic.twitter.com/51vv1Qgs1u
— Sara Sanchez ⚾ (@BCB_Sara) September 22, 2019
Kris Bryant being helped off the field after getting injured trying to beat that double play. #Cubs pic.twitter.com/O7iH8FvkWC
— Sarah Spain (@SarahSpain) September 22, 2019
He was in obvious pain. We’ll update when able. Hopefully it’s just the ankle, and hopefully it *merely* ends Bryant’s season. What you don’t want to see is a surgery-requiring injury, or something that could impact him for next year.
UPDATE: It just looks painful … very painful:
Visible pain on Bryant’s face as he’s helped off the field. The #Cubs group of walking wounded keeps growing. Such a hard thing to watch… https://t.co/lYSIk7YWTB pic.twitter.com/gxFKmFQNlA
— Kelly Crull (@Kelly_Crull) September 22, 2019
UPDATE 2: It is officially just being listed as an ankle sprain with no fracture:
Kris Bryant exited today's game with a sprained right ankle.
Initial X-rays did not reveal a fracture. pic.twitter.com/VpXCCbF8jp
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 22, 2019
Obviously the range of damage with a sprained ankle can be quite wide, but if the knee is not involved at all (TBD?), that’s great news. Now we just hope it’s not a super severe ankle sprain with all kinds of ligament and tendon damage in there, requiring surgery. Fingers crossed, and more details when we have them.