Kris Bryant Rumors: Chicago Cubs To Promote Bryant On April 18
Kris Bryant rumors are about to come to an end. The Chicago Cubs will promote Bryant from Triple-A on Friday (April 18), officially ending the speculation on when he would make his 2015 Major League debut. As revealed by CBS Sports, the confirmation has been made that he will be with the Cubs over the weekend. Fantasy baseball owners can now rejoice and put him into active lineups for the first time this season.
Though this is great news for Kris Bryant, it is equally bad news for Mike Olt. It is assumed that Olt will be placed on the disabled list, leaving an open roster slot that the Cubs can use for Bryant. This also guarantees that Bryant steps in as the full-time third baseman for the team, meaning he won’t have to play games in the outfield just originally rumored. It should make his transition to the big stage a bit easier.
Down in Triple-A Iowa, Bryant was putting up good numbers for the Cubs’ affiliate. He had played seven games for the team, going 9-for-28 at the plate, with three home runs and 10 RBIs to his credit. Fans of the Chicago Cubs and fantasy baseball owners might also enjoy that he had two stolen bases in that time. If he could add steals to what are assumed to be good power numbers, Bryant could quickly become a very valuable contributor for the team.
As previously reported on the Inquisitr, the Chicago Cubs decided to send Kris Bryant down to Triple-A to begin the season. The intent was to keep him from losing an extra year of team control, and that decision came with a lot of controversy. Many fans learning about the rule for the first time became pretty frustrated, despite the practice being in play for quite a while. Bryant even noted that he would be (and was) disappointed if he didn’t start the regular season with the Cubs.
The Chicago Cubs open a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres on Friday. That will serve as a great gift to the fans at Wrigley Field, as well as the baseball analysts needing something to talk about during the day. Game time is 2:20 p.m. ET, and James Shields will be taking the mound as the first Major League pitcher to face Bryant.
Thus ends what has been months of rumors about what the Chicago Cubs were going to do with the superstar prospect. Now, all that is left is for Kris Bryant to prove to the fans that the hype has all been worth. Expectations haven’t been this high for a rookie since Stephen Strasburg came up with the Washington Nationals.
[Image Source: Norm Hall/Getty Images]
