CHICAGO — Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant was out of the starting lineup for the third straight game after he was beaned during a victory at Colorado last weekend.
Bryant visited with a team doctor on Thursday, and the Cubs said Bryant hasn’t been diagnosed with a concussion. Manager Joe Maddon said the 2016 NL MVP might be available off the bench for Chicago’s series opener against Milwaukee.
"I don’t anticipate anything awful or bad. We’re just waiting for everybody to be on board and once we do that he’ll be back out there playing," Maddon said. "That’s it. Really nothing complicated. I’m not concealing anything."
Bryant popped into the clubhouse before the Cubs’ matchup with the Brewers, but he was not made available to the media.
"He seems good," Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. "It’s scary. It’s a scary thing."
Bryant was hit on the head by a 96 mph fastball from Colorado’s German Marquez in the first inning of Chicago’s 9-7 win Sunday. He stayed on his feet, but was helped off the field by a pair of trainers.
The 26-year-old Bryant is batting .319 with two homers and 11 RBIs in 19 games.
Maddon also said utlityman Ben Zobrist ran the bases before the game. Zobrist has been sidelined by back tightness, but could come off the disabled list when he is eligible to return on Saturday.
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