Kris Bryant Gave a Depressing Update on His Chronic Back Injury

Colorado Rockies designated hitter Kris Bryant had a depressing update on his back injury. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

As he has been for most of his tenure with the Rockies, Kris Bryant will be on the shelf for a while. On Tuesday, he met with the media at the team complex in Scottsdale, Ariz., and made some pretty depressing revelations.

Bryant has a chronic back injury that has been diagnosed as lumbar degenerative disc disease. He played in just 11 games in 2025 and has been on the field for just 48 of a possible 324 over the past two seasons. Given how bad the Rockies have been, he should probably be thankful.

On Tuesday, Bryant seemed resigned to suffering through the injury again this season.

“Yeah, it’s difficult. It’s not easy waking up in pain every day,” he said. “So, now we’re here, and I think just trying to determine next steps while I’m here with the training staff and the doctors.”

The Cubs selected Bryant with the second pick in the 2013 MLB draft, and he went on to become one of the game’s best hitters. The third baseman was a four-time All-Star in Chicago and was named NL MVP in 2016 as he helped lead the Cubs to their first World Series title in 108 years.

His numbers tailed off toward the end of his time with the Cubs, and he was shipped to the Giants at the trade deadline in 2021.He hit free agency after the season.

Colorado swooped in and inked Bryant to a seven-year, $182 million deal. Over the first four seasons of that contract, he has played in a total of 170 games, slashing .244/.324/.370, with 17 home runs and 61 RBIs.

The 34-year-old Bryant will miss at least the first 57 games of the 2026 campaign after the Rockies placed him on the 60-day injured list in February.

Colorado owes Bryant $27 million this season, and another $54 million over the next two seasons. It’s been clear for a while now that the former MVP’s contract is one of the worst in baseball history.

It truly is sad to see how bad things have gotten for Bryant. In his first five big league seasons, he slashed .284/.385/.516, a wRC+ of 139, and he ranked sixth among hitters in fWAR (27.8). He appeared set to be one of the greats of his era. Since then, it's all fallen apart.

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