Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant has been out since Sunday afternoon when he was hit in the helmet with a pitch in the Cubs win over the Colorado Rockies.
Bryant has missed the past five games, including Sunday’s win, after being hit by the pitch with the Cubs going 4-1 in those games. But the third baseman appears to be close to a return.
The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney tweeted that Bryant did some baseball activities on Thursday and Friday before the Cubs’s games against the Milwaukee Brewers. He went on to say that Bryant is expected to be back in the lineup on Saturday:
A #Cubs official says Kris Bryant ran through baseball activities on Thursday and will do the same routine again today. Barring any unforeseen setbacks, it's realistic to expect Bryant back in Saturday's lineup vs. #Brewers at Wrigley.
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) April 27, 2018
Shortly after that news was released, NBC Sports Chicago analyst Doug Glanville tweeted a photo of Bryant taking batting practice on Friday. It appears as if he’s going with a face guard to his helmet similar to the one Jason Heyward and Javier Baez wear:
Positive steps continue for @Cubs and Kris Bryant. Hitting on field before game today. Face guard added. @NBCSCubs #Cubs pic.twitter.com/OG5PKJTGy0
— Doug Glanville (@dougglanville) April 27, 2018
Despite being without Bryant, the Cubs have actually played well in his absence. Getting him back into the lineup should be a big boost as he was playing very well prior to the injury.
Saturday’s first pitch against the Brewers is set for 1:20 p.m. CST as Jose Quintana will take on Junior Guerra. The Cubs won the first two games of the series and are looking for the series win.
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