Kris Bryant Will Begin Rehab Assignment in Iowa on Monday
The Kris Bryant news has been nothing but encouraging over the last 24 hours. We learned that Bryant is pumped about a swing change he made to protect his shoulder, and now he feels so good that he’s ready to begin a rehab stint in Iowa on Monday.
On Saturday, the former Cubs MVP changed his swing from a one-handed follow-through to two-handed. Maddon suggested the change was temporary, but our own Evan Altman learned it might actually be permanent. Bryant himself expressed tangible enthusiasm about the mechanical change, and he even compared its potential benefit to when he moved from an upright batting stance to a wide one in college.
Kris Bryant to Iowa tomorrow (Monday) for rehab stint.
— Tony Andracki (@TonyAndracki23) August 26, 2018
Bryant hit again Sunday morning just prior to announcing readiness to join Iowa for Monday’s game. How long KB will stay in Iowa has yet to be determined. The third baseman only played two games in his earlier rehab stint in July, but my gut tells me he might take slightly longer just to ensure he’s fully ready to go.
Good look at Kris Bryant working his two-handed swing today pic.twitter.com/DxcZBUYSHL
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) August 26, 2018
When Bryant returns, the Cubs offense — which was the best in MLB for a long-stretch even without KB — is going to be incredibly difficult for pitchers to beat. Murphy has already crushed two long-balls for the Cubs, with Javy continuing to put up MVP-esque numbers. And with Rizzo looking like his usual self, it’s hard not to be overwhelmingly excited about this team’s offensive potential when KB returns to the diamond.