Kris Bryant Bryant played in just 170 games in four seasons with the Rockies, and he played in just 10 games in the 2025 season before recurring back problems ended his season prematurely. Degenerative disc disease in his lumbar spine has left Bryant in pain while performing basic baseball activities that have nothing to do with his swing, and the former National League MVP told Patrick Sanders of the Denver Post that the discomfort has now extended to his daily life.
“The feeling of waking up and wishing to feel exhausts me [better],” Kobe said. “I can’t tell you the last time I woke up I felt like I was in a good place… If you had asked me two or three months ago, I would have said [my back pain] It didn’t affect my daily life. But now it’s like this, which is really annoying to me because usually when you take a break, things get better. So maybe I should do something now to see if it helps me“.
Bryant has explored multiple avenues to try to repair his back, including ablation surgery last May. He is currently not participating in any baseball activities because Rockies head coach Keith Dugger has Bryant participating in a regular Pilates regiment to help strengthen his core. However, it remains to be seen whether this treatment or any other measures will allow Bryant to return to his normal path of playing on the court, which remains his goal.
“This is the thing that bothers me the most. hard to describe,” Kobe said. “I’ve been playing the game for 30 years, certainly not professionally, but it’s all I know…but watching the playoffs and seeing some of my friends still playing gave me the motivation to try the game. So I don’t have those conversations. [about retirement]thank God, because I don’t want to. I just want to be a baseball player“.
Bryant signed a seven-year, $18MM free agent contract with Colorado in the 2021-22 offseason, with the remaining three years worth $7MM. Unfortunately, this signing can be considered one of the biggest misses in free agency history, as Bryant saw so little playing time and his production when he did play was low (.244/.324/.370 with 17 home runs in 712 games in a Rox uniform). The Rockies’ horrendous 231-417 record over the past four seasons is far from Bryant’s fault alone, but his contract has become somewhat emblematic of this low point in the franchise’s history.
A turning point may be coming as the Rockies search for a new head of baseball operations and focus on outside candidates in hopes of finally bringing some fresh ideas and fresh perspectives to the organization. Given Bryant’s lack of progress, it’s hard to call his situation a priority for the incoming new executive, as there doesn’t seem to be much to do other than hope Bryant can get healthy enough to play.
Setting up a deferred payment plan for the remainder of his contract could be the endgame for Bryant and the Rockies, as he’s naturally not going to just retire and get rid of the money he’s owed. However, Bryant (who turns 34 in January) isn’t ready to go down that path yet, and only he knows when enough is enough from a physical and mental standpoint.
