Kris Bryant will always be a Chicago Cubs legend.
He may never play another Major League Baseball game, though, not for his current Colorado Rockies or for anyone else.
The injury news over the past few years about Bryant continues to be depressing for anyone who watched him help the Cubs win their first World Series in 108 years.
He arrived as a much-hyped prospect — and he lived up to it.
But his body let him down. Bryant signed a big deal in Colorado but has never really been the same. It’s not the fault of the Rockies. It’s the result of bad luck.
Bryant will go down both as a hero — for his World Series win — and as a “what if?” — for what he never got to do due to injury.
Kris Bryant News
The latest Bryant news came from the Rockies season-ending press conference with president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta.
DePodesta was asked about Bryant’s role in the Rockies’ future, and he didn’t hide the reality.
“I think we have to continue to move forward from a roster-building standpoint as if we’re not going to have him,” DePodesta told reporters. “And if we do, then that’s a great bonus.”
The Rockies still owe Bryant $54 million, but they’ve certainly operated of late like he’s not part of the plans.
He feels much like the story of David Wright with the New York Mets, who had injuries derail his career before he could put together a strong second half of his MLB tenure.
What is Kris Bryant’s Injury?
Bryant was placed on the 60-day injured list right at the start of the 2026 season. He had played just 11 games in 2025.
When he was placed on the IL, it was with chronic lumbar degenerative disc disease.
In other words, it’s a degenerative back problem.
Bryant has said that when his feet hit the ground, it can feel like he could fall over.
It’s specifically a severe pain in his lower back, which is a key part of the body for pretty much every baseball motion.
And because it’s degenerative, this isn’t something that just gets better. It’s something Bryant has to live with.
The reality is that figuring out how to live with it might be the biggest task. The idea of playing Major League Baseball with it feels unimportant by comparison.
Bryant won’t ever be the player or athlete he once was. And it’s heartbreaking for the Cubs fans who watched him end the longest drought in baseball history.
Cubs Legend Kris Bryant Gets More Bad News With Rockies