Bryant sits out, ponders Cubs breakup
Kris Bryant was not in the Cubs' starting lineup Tuesday in Atlanta due to a sore right triceps.
Bryant hit a grand slam on Monday, but manager David Ross said this injury has been going on for about a week.
"He did it about a week ago, cold day on a throw," Ross said. "He's been playing through it, getting treatment. It's just starting to bark a little bit. I'm going to try to rest him. He's available off the bench to hit, but I'm going to try to stay away from him and see if we can calm that biceps down a little bit."
Shortstop Javy Baez is out for the second straight day due to a sore hamstring. Ross said it's conceivable Baez will end up on the injured list.
Before launching his home run on Monday, Bryant was asked if there's been much talk in the clubhouse about this being the last time together for this group. Bryant, Baez and Anthony Rizzo are all in the final year of their contracts.
"How much do we talk about the last go-round thing?" Bryant said. "We don't talk about it much, but it's in the back of your head, just the fact that I've been playing baseball with Anthony Rizzo, this is my seventh year now. It's like, 'Yeah, it could be our last year together,' but why would I want to sit here and feel pressure or any of that or sulk?
"I would rather just really enjoy it and enjoy these memories. It's not necessarily that we talk about it all the time, but it's like, let's maybe have a little bit more fun than we have before and joke around a little more. Joke about these stresses we have each and every day. We have each other to lean on and it might be the last time we get to use each other for resources like that."
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls