DENVER — The next week will be a slow and steady period of recovery for Kris Bryant as he limits himself to little more than casual walking due to a recent medical procedure aimed at relieving his persistent back issues.
The designated hitter for the Colorado Rockies, Bryant is hopeful that this treatment will finally ease his discomfort. He traveled back to Denver after undergoing a procedure in Los Angeles known as an ablation, which aims to disrupt the pain signals traveling from his back to his brain. Bryant stated that the procedure lasted about 45 minutes.
“It feels like I’ve been stabbed in the back,” Bryant admitted before the game against the San Diego Padres. “Not the best feeling right now, but I’m staying positive.”
After he receives clearance for more than gentle walking, Bryant plans to return to his workouts to regain strength. At present, there is no set timeline for when he can resume baseball activities.
“We’ll have to let the process happen naturally,” said Rockies manager Bud Black.
Bryant currently resides on the injured list, dealing with lumbar degenerative disc disease. This condition involves the wearing down of the spinal discs that serve as cushioning between the bones of the spine. Since 2022, this marks his ninth time on the injured list due to various health complications.
His back issues have escalated to the point where cortisone injections no longer relieve the pain. Hence, he opted for the ablation procedure as a means to potentially avoid back surgery.
“I don’t want to get to the stage of surgery and jump too far ahead,” remarked Bryant. “I’m just going through the steps as they come. We tested all other conservative methods, like cortisone shots, but they weren’t effective for me. So, this is the next step.”
“I’m open to trying anything,” Bryant added, highlighting how the pain has sometimes been so intense that it caused nausea. “It’s been a heavy burden. It’s just tough.”
This season, the 33-year-old is hitting .154 with zero home runs, one RBI, and 13 strikeouts over 11 games.
Since signing a $182 million, seven-year contract with the Rockies in 2022, Bryant has been on the field for only 170 games due to a string of injuries including plantar fasciitis, a bone bruise on his foot, heel problems, a broken finger, a back strain, a lower rib contusion, and ongoing back pain.
“I’m in a good mental spot right now,” said Bryant, who won the 2016 National League MVP award with the Chicago Cubs. “It does wear you down. It’s challenging to handle, but I’m doing my best given a pretty tough situation.”
For now, Bryant isn’t setting any baseball-related targets.
“It’s really about taking it one day at a time,” Bryant noted. “I’m committed to doing everything in my power — and with the training staff’s help — to navigate through this challenge.”