Rockies place four-time All-Star 1B on injured list due to back strain

The Rockies announced that they have recalled outfielder Sean Bouchard from Triple-A Albuquerque. He will take the roster spot of first baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a low back strain, retroactive to April 14.

Bryant, 32, crashed into the wall at Rogers Centre this weekend while catching a ball off the bat of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He was later removed from that game and hasn’t been back in the lineup since. 

The fact that he wasn’t immediately placed on the IL perhaps suggests he could return after a brief absence, though further updates will provide more information. Since the move was backdated by three days, Bryant could theoretically be back with the club in a week.

Going into the 2022 season, the Rockies and Bryant agreed to a seven-year, $182M contract. The deal has not provided the results the club had hoped for to this point, which is putting it mildly. 

Bryant hit well in 2022 but only played 42 games due to back problems and left-foot plantar fasciitis. Last year, a left heel bruise and a fractured left index finger led to IL stints. Bryant still got into 80 games but his production dipped, and he was also out to a slow start here in 2024.

Overall, Bryant has appeared in 135 games since joining Colorado, taking 571 plate appearances. He has hit .249/.329/.391 for a wRC+ of 86. That’s well shy of the .278/.376/.504 line he put up through the 2021 season, production which translated to a 134 wRC+. 

There’s still plenty of time for Bryant to turn things around, but each trip to the IL will only compound the frustration among the Colorado fans as the largest free-agent signing in franchise history continues to go for naught.

Bryant had been playing both first base and right field before his injury. Elehuris Montero has seemingly taken over at the regular at first, with the outfield spots filled by Brenton Doyle, Nolan Jones and Michael Toglia. Veteran Charlie Blackmon has mostly been in the designated hitter slot but has played some right field on occasion.

Jake Cave is on the roster as a reserve outfielder but he will now be joined by Bouchard, who turns 28 next month. 

Bouchard has a stout line of .304/.429/.563 in his major league career, though in a small sample of 140 plate appearances. He seemed to have a chance to earn a regular role to start the 2024 season but hit just .205/.308/.341 in the spring. However, he has mashed since reporting to Triple-A, putting up a line of .315/.431/.611 so far this year.