And…Exhale: X-Rays on Kris Bryant’s Hand Negative After HBP

With the Cubs leading 13-6 in the top of the 9th inning Tuesday night, a 3-0 sinker from Drew Storen rode in on Kris Bryant’s hands and…ouch. Joe Maddon and trainer Ed Halbur came out to check on the MVP, eventually allowing him to stay in the game. Exhale.

After the Cubs had been retired, however, Bryant headed to the clubhouse with the hand iced and wrapped. Hold your breath again. Before anyone had a chance to get too blue in the face, it was announced that X-rays were negative and that it was simply a contusion. *Audible sighs of relief*

As good as that news is, this latest ding marks the latest in a series of near-misses for KB thus far. There was the rolled ankle after stepping on third fielding a pop-up and the jacked-up pinkie that caught on a cleat while sliding into third, both of which hampered him to some extent. But the key here is that none of those things ended up being too serious.

This isn’t either, but Maddon has already said he’ll be giving the third baseman Wednesday off. Let’s hope that’s all it requires and that he can get right back in there for the series finale Thursday. Then again, it would be kind of fun to Anthony Rizzo back out there at third like he was for the conclusion of Tuesday’s win.