Kris Bryant already on 60-day IL for Rockies as brutal contract somehow gets worse

Surprise, surprise: Kris Bryant is headed to injury reserve. 

The Rockies slugger was placed on the 60-day IL on Tuesday with a lingering lower back issue in the latest setback for the former National League MVP. 

Bryant, 34, has struggled mightily to stay on the field since coming to Colorado five years ago. 

Colorado Rockies’ Kris Bryant heads to first base after drawing a walk with the bases loaded to force in a run against San Diego Padres starting pitcher Blake Snell in the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 14, 2022, in Denver. AP

Since signing a massive seven-year, $182 million free agent contract with the Rockies after the 2021 season, Bryant has played in just 170 out of a possible 648 games over four seasons with various injuries. 

Last season, Bryant appeared in just 11 games before being sidelined with lumbar degenerative disc disease, which is a lower back issue associated with wear and tear of the spine.

The latest stint is the 10th time he’s been placed on the IL since coming to the Mile High City.

Bryant hasn’t looked the part of the star worthy contract he signed when on the field either, hitting .244 with 17 home runs, 61 RBIs and an OPS of .695 when in the lineup. 

The development is the latest setback in what had at one point looked like a potential Hall of Fame career. 

Debuting for the Cubs in 2015, Bryant won the NL Rookie of the Year award that season while making the All-Star team and garnering some down-ballot MVP votes. 

A season later, Bryant won the MVP award at just 24 years old for the historic 2016 World Series champion Cubs team. 

Kris Bryant has not provided much value to the Rockies. Getty Images

Bryant would show some signs of wear over the next few seasons, although he still made two more All-Star teams for Chicago before being dealt to the Giants before the 2021 MLB trade deadline. 

Now, it appears his career is on life support.