Kris Bryant’s Career Hits Another Setback and It’s a Damn Shame

Kris Bryant was on a Hall of Fame trajectory by the end of his fifth season with the Chicago Cubs and it sucks that his legacy not only in MLB itself, but as a star in Chicago is reduced to the meatball thought that he was soft. Injuries have taken away so much from several great players in Chicago and Bryant’s career just hit another setback before a pitch has been thrown in the 2026 season. Yet, instead of fans lamenting what could have been, the 2016 MVP continues to be treated like a villain.

That’s what really pisses me off because think of most of the other great players that have come through Chicago and on the Cubs. This dude won Rookie of the Year, MVP and the World Series in his first two years in MLB, had his name next to franchise icons after 2019, and no one could say a bad thing about Bryant on or off the field. Oh, he struck out too much as a rookie, how about immediately turning into a top-2 hitter in baseball right after.

Kris Bryant made his MLB debut on April 17, 2015. On May 19, 2018, he injured his shoulder, sliding against the Reds.

Between those dates, Bryant posted a 22.8 fWAR, ranking 2nd among all MLB players, trailing only Mike Trout.

Injuries suck.

— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) February 10, 2026

By the way he never had any issues off the field and had his character assassinated by David Kaplan, who over exaggerated a supposed extension offer that was immediately refuted by Cubs beat reporters.

Anyway, as teams begin spring training you’re starting to see injury announcements and the Colorado Rockies had a big one on Tuesday. Bryant, who only played in 11 games for the Rockies in 2025, and has played in 170 total games since signing a seven-year, $182 million contract, will miss the start of the 2026 season as he continues to deal with lumbar degenerative disc disease in his lower back.

Spring training starts, and Rockies 1B Kris Bryant goes on the 60-day IL where he'll be out for at least the first 57 games of the season. Bryant, who played only 11 games last season, has played in 170 games in the first four years of his 7-year, $182 million contract.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 10, 2026

It is extremely sad to see. And I get it, if you’re a Rockies fan you’re probably not as sympathetic toward Bryant because you never got any of the great memories. For Cubs fans, though, how can you not feel awful for that man.

Back in November, Bryant spoke to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post and provided a gut-wrenching update on his recovery.

There’s no other way to put this, downright agonizing.

Every morning, Kris Bryant wakes up and tests his lower back, hoping the pain and stiffness have lessened. Every morning, he’s disappointed.

“I wish I had better things to tell you,” Bryant said from his home in Las Vegas. “It’s not in the best shape, and that’s pretty disheartening for me. It’s exhausting for me waking up and hoping to feel (better). I can’t tell you the last time I woke up feeling I’m in a good spot.”

“If you asked me two or three months ago, I would say (my back pain) was not affecting my everyday life,” he said. “But now it is, which is really annoying to me because usually when you kind of just rest, it’s supposed to get better. So maybe I’m at a point where I should just do a bunch of stuff to see if that helps me.”

All Kris Bryant did was unfortunately have his body fail him. He didn’t fail anyone and it’s a damn shame that instead of being remembered for being the best player on the best Cubs team too many fans will point to his time in Colorado and completely forget how special Bryant was.