The Colorado Rockies may be getting more of the same (read: nothing) out of Kris Bryant this season.
Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer spoke with reporters on Tuesday ahead of the start of Spring Training. During his media session, Schaeffer offered a troubling update about the Rockies third baseman Bryant. Schaeffer said that Bryant “can’t play baseball” right now due to his degenerative back condition and is expected to miss the entire 2026 season as a result.
“We have to prepare like he’s not going to play,” said Schaeffer of Bryant, per Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. “That’s just the way we have to go about it, hoping that he has a recovery and a breakthrough. But was of now, his back really, really hurts. It’s a real thing. He just can’t play baseball.”
Bryant himself also briefly addressed reporters on Tuesday and offered some details about his back condition.
“Any time my feet hit the ground, I feel like I could probably fall over,” Bryant said. “It’s unfortunate and obviously not how I want this to go. I’m here to figure things out and find out if there is a way to get better.
“It’s not easy waking up in pain every day, but now we are here,” added Bryant. “I’m just trying to determine the next step with the training staff and doctors.”
The ex-NL MVP Bryant, now 34 years old, signed a seven-year, $182 million contract with the Rockies in 2022. But he has managed to appear in just 170 total games for Colorado, batting .244 and producing a -1.6 WAR overall.
Last season, Bryant played in only 11 games for the Rockies, hitting a miserable .154. He was later diagnosed with lumbar degenerative disc disease and went on to share some of the alarming symptoms that he was experiencing.
Colorado still owes Bryant $81 million over the next three years. With the two sides also recently making headlines over their supposed pettiness with one another, it is safe to say Bryant has been a very bad investment for Colorado.
