NEWSLETTER
Given how he looks at the plate, and given what he went through with his shoulder and his knee in previous years, we’ve all been wondering it: is Kris Bryant struggling right now because he’s playing through a wrist/hand issue suffered on that diving play in Cleveland last week?
Well, forget the conspiracy theories, because the answer is simply: yes.
From David Ross, speaking with Laurence Holmes on 670 The Score today: “[Bryant has] some hand and wrist things going on that are still bugging him [from the diving play in Cleveland]. He’s had a couple things that have creeped up throughout the season, but the main thing is the hand, and he’s got a little bit of a wrist issue and a finger issue that’s still bothering him at times when he’s hitting.”
Oh. OK. So we’re just laying it out there.
I’m not trying to make this overly simplistic. I understand that guys aren’t always 100% healthy, and sometimes it *IS* more productive for your team to play a guy at 85% than to play someone else and wait for the dude to heal fully, which might take weeks. So maybe I’m just frustrated at the situation more than I’m frustrated at the Cubs.
… but this damn thing just happens every single year. Hell, it’s happened the last few years with Bryant, specifically!
The Cubs are fortunate to have a guy like David Bote available to play at third base if Bryant has to sit down, so it might be worth taking advantage of that. I know Bryant wants to play. I know that there aren’t a lot of games this year. But if Bryant is feeling a physical issue and right now he’s performing as one of the worst hitters on the team, then why not give him some time? Or at the very least, why keep giving him the most plate appearances on the team?
When asked what goes into deciding whether to play a guy in that situation, Ross seemingly said all the right things, even if the decisions regarding Bryant leave you scratching your head a bit.
“Just talking to [the player],” Ross said of the process. “I trust in the player and their feedback. Listening to them. Looking in their eyes when we have these conversations. And letting them know what’s important to me, when I have the conversation about taking care of their bodies. I need them at their best. This game is extremely hard when you’re 100% healthy, when you’re playing at 85-90%, it’s that much more difficult. I want them in a good headspace, and if you’re hesitant at all … I’ve seen too many great players not have great years because they’re dealing with small issues. Those things tend to linger, you create bad habits really fast trying to make up for something that might be bothering you. I don’t want that for my guys. I’d rather they take some time, get 100% healthy.”
OK. So … maybe Bryant should sit a couple days? We don’t have the full details here, but Ross knows Bryant is physically not right, and he sees the results right now – it’s not just that Bryant isn’t being productive, it’s that he looks really off at the plate. I know you want to honor a player if he says he can go, but there’s a line. I feel for Ross – for all managers – when it comes to this topic, but it’s part of the job.
Maybe the wrist is getting better day by day, and Bryant will come out of this funk even as he’s playing every day. But by Ross’s own words, he doesn’t really want guys trying to power through it when they aren’t feeling right. I guess we’ll just see what happens.
UPDATE: Bryant is indeed sitting tonight.
