Just two days ago, Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant was pulled in the fifth inning of a game versus the St. Louis Cardinals.
Bryant was pulled due to “hamstring fatigue,” we later learned. That, in and of itself, was an odd descriptor and set off a small alarm in some fans’ heads.
What some may also remember is that same day, a report came out via ESPN’s Jeff Passan which stated that Bryant was “as good as gone.” The rumor mill then began churning faster than ever.
Isn’t it funny that, in the same day that report came out, Bryant was pulled in the fifth inning against the Cubs’ bitter rival? Something isn’t quite right.
It could be a giant coincidence, but the Chicago Cubs may also be very close to a Kris Bryant trade.
If Bryant was truly suffering from tightness and fatigue in his hamstring, then pulling him was the right call. But, he’s also sat out since that night and was not in the lineup for the second straight game.
Now, the reports are not only fatigue, but “heavy legs.”
This is getting stranger by the day, and with the MLB trade deadline right around the corner, one has to ask a few questions.
Is Bryant actually hurt? Or, are the Cubs very close to a trade and unwilling to risk a legitimate injury?
If he is hurt, then the Cubs have to be holding him out because they are close to a deal — right? David Ross says he is not willing to risk Bryant’s health, and that’s the right call. But, for something that seems so minimal, so trivial… have we, in fact, witnessed Bryant’s last game in a Cubs uniform? The answer to that question could wind up being an unfortunate, yet understandable, “yes.”
Bryant has had a mostly strong season, all things considered. He has bounced back from a couple of down years in a big way, reverting to the guy Chicago once saw finish as the NL MVP.
