This might officially be it for Kris Bryant.
The Colorado Rockies have announced that designated hitter Kris Bryant is being placed on the 10-day injured list with lumbar degenerative disk disease.
The news was first reported by MLB.com’s Thomas Harding.
Bryant, 33, has struggled with injuries since the Rockies signed him to a seven-year, $182 million contract before the 2022 season. He’s missed time for a variety of different ailments, but his back has been the primary culprit.
Last May, Bryant revealed to the Denver Post that he was dealing with severe back issues.
“I guess it’s hard to speak on because I’m not a doctor, but the discs in my back are pretty much dried up, so there’s a couple of discs that … they don’t function like they did 10 years ago,” Bryant said. “My facet joints are a little — not a little — they are pretty severely arthritic, and (there are) a lot of bone spurs and stuff like that. It’s just part of getting older. That’s the way the doctor explained it to me. So I just have to find a way to manage it as best I can.”
Bryant appeared in just 37 games last season, slashing .218/.323/.301 in 133 at-bats. He has played in just 170 games in the four seasons since arriving in Colorado.
In 11 games with the Rockies this season he is just 6-for-41 with two doubles and just one RBI. He has also struck out at a 31.7% rate with only two walks.
Harding indicates he isn’t sure what the treatment plan is for Bryant.
Degenerative disk disease is the degradation of the spinal disks—cushions between the vertebrae—which causes varying degrees of pain that can worsen after activities like bending, twisting, or lifting. It also doesn’t exactly get better with age.
One has to wonder if this might be it for the former Chicago Cubs MVP and Rookie of the Year.
Bryant crossed 10 years of MLB service time milestone on March 27th and qualifies for the full pension plan.
In a corresponding roster move, catcher Braxton Fulford has been selected from the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes.
To clear space on the 40-man roster, RHP Jeff Criswell (Tommy John surgery) has been moved to the 60-day injured list.
Fulford (HM PuRP) has been off to a strong start with the Isotopes in 2025, hitting 15-for-38 with three doubles and five home runs through 12 games as their primary catcher.
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This is a developing story and Purple Row will provide updates as they become available.