To one sports anchor in Denver, struggling Rockies infielder Kris Bryant — hitting just .186 through his first 24 games this year before recently returning to the injured list — has committed a crime.
“I tell ya, Kris Bryant is one of the greatest bank robbers of all time,” Scotty Gange, a sports anchor with 9 News, said, according to Awful Announcing. “You see, the Rockies’ first baseman is heading back on the injury list, will miss at least another week and a half. In two and a half seasons, he has missed 239 games. That’s about two out of every three.
“And with his guaranteed contract, Bryant has earned $25 million in those games which he has not played. That is stealing. For those wondering, 25 million bucks would be the sixth-greatest heist in world history.”
Bryant, who had already missed 31 games in 2024 with a low back strain, veered toward the netting in foul territory in the eighth inning of Colorado’s game Sunday and ended up tangled — contorting his body to hang onto the ball while also falling to the ground — while also sustaining the left rib contusion.
After signing a seven-year, $182 million deal with the Rockies ahead of the 2022 season, Bryant has hit just .247 across 146 games and, according to ESPN, has now had seven IL stints.
“It’s been Kris’ hope to stay healthy and play — stay on the field,” Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters Wednesday, according to ESPN. “It’s been interrupted often. And there’s frustration because Kris wants to play. These different types of injuries have cropped up. I don’t have a crystal ball.
“But hopefully, this will resolve itself relatively quickly and get him back on the field, get him back on the active roster and, hopefully, get some momentum performance-wise, where we see the real Kris Bryant.”
Earlier in his career, Bryant was a budding star who helped the Cubs snap their 108-year World Series drought.
He was the third baseman who made four All-Star Games, won the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in consecutive seasons and positioned himself for a massive contract once he hit free agency following the 2021 season.
That, though, has only been followed by inconsistencies at the plate and plenty of injuries.