Kristopher Bryant: Everything you need to know

Bryant said Tuesday that the ongoing pain in his back continues to prevent him from participating in baseball activities, though he's still consulting with doctors and trainers for potential rehab options, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports. The 34-year-old is dealing with a lumbar degenerative disc disease and has played a combined 170 games across four seasons since inking a seven-year, $182 million contract with Colorado. Bryant was placed on the 60-day injured list last week, and though he's not planning to retire while he remains engaged in the rehab process, it's not clear if or when he'll be able to return to the field.

The Rockies placed Bryant (back) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday. The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Tomoyuki Sugano, who inked a one-year contract with Colorado. Bryant is still not 100 percent as he deals with a lumbar degenerative disc disease, and there is no timetable for his return. The 33-year-old has played in 170 games over his four seasons with the Rockies since signing a seven-year, $182 million contract in March of 2022.

Bryant said Saturday in an interview with Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post that he continues to experience daily pain and discomfort while recovering from lumbar degenerative disc disease, but the 33-year-old said that he's not yet considering retirement. "[The back is] not in the best shape, and that's pretty disheartening for me," Bryant said. "It's exhausting for me waking up and hoping to feel [better]. I can't tell you the last time I woke up feeling I'm in a good spot." Bryant spent nearly all of the 2025 campaign on the shelf after he underwent an ablation operation in May to address his back condition, but the procedure hasn't yielded the desired effect. Though Bryant noted that he hasn't felt any pain while swinging a bat, straight-line running as well as quick, unorthodox movements such as diving for a grounder or retreating to first base on a pickoff attempt are still presenting discomfort. Bryant said that he's continuing to treat his injury during the offseason by doing Pilates three times a week with the hope of strengthening his core and providing some relief for his lower back, but if he's still dealing with substantial pain by the time spring training arrives, it's possible that Bryant and the Rockies more seriously discuss a financial arrangement that would allow him to medically retire. Since signing a seven-year, $182 million contract in March of 2022, Bryant has played in 170 games over his four seasons with the Rockies and has struggled to a .244/.324/.370 slash line (82 wRC+) with 17 home runs and 61 RBI across 712 plate appearances.