Kris Bryant lands on IL as finger/wrist issues linger
The Cubs placed Kris Bryant on the 10-day injured list Saturday evening with a left ring finger sprain and he’s also been bothered by a left wrist issue.
The move is retroactive to Aug. 19 so the three-time All-Star will miss at least another week as a result of the injury.
David Ross spoke with the media Saturday afternoon and said the Cubs had not yet opted to place Bryant on the IL, but that plan obviously changed in the hours leading up to the game.
“Just the feedback from him [changed the decision],” Ross said. “The hope was usually a shot like that is a two-to-three day thing and on the fourth day, usually it’s a big turn towards the better but he’s still feeling it. Took some swings with a fungo and it was still there and picked up his bat and swung at about 50% and still feeling that in his wrist.”
With the injury not responding the way the Cubs would’ve liked, they felt the smart thing to do would be to put him on the IL, let him get back to 100% and then send him to the alternate site in South Bend to get some at-bats in against pitchers in simulated action.
He initially hurt his left wrist/hand when he dove for a ball in left field on Aug. 12 in Cleveland.
Bryant tried to gut it out and played four straight games — including both contests in Monday’s doubleheader against the Cardinals — before receiving an injection Tuesday and sitting the rest of the week out.
He is hitting .177 with a .594 OPS in 70 plate appearances this season. In his absence, David Bote has been seeing regular time at third base and Ian Happ has moved into the leadoff spot.