Bryant day to day with back stiffness after early exit

TORONTO -- Kris Bryant crashed head first into the right-field wall after making a first-inning catch of a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drive in Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays, and played until the bottom of the fourth -- when he was removed with what the club announced as back stiffness.

“We’ll check in the morning, but hopefully he is fine,” manager Bud Black said. “I don’t think it’s a long-term thing at all.

“That was a really good play. He sort of got twisted around. That ball was hit pretty well by Guerrero. He’s got power and he drove Kris to the wall. The ball was hit hard. It wasn’t like a fly ball.”

After the first-inning catch, Bryant could be seen wincing, reaching to the right side of his back and stretching. Bryant, whose 2-for-5 performance in Friday’s 12-4 win at Toronto was a respite from a tough beginning to the season, doubled to lead off the second against Blue Jays starter Yariel Rodríguez. He did not score.

Bryant struck out swinging in the fourth against Rodríguez before Michael Toglia replaced him in right. Toglia had a strong defensive play of his own -- a seventh-inning throw to third to retire Guerrero, who was trying to go first-to-third on Bo Bichette’s single.

Bryant, who has battled injury since signing a seven-year contract with the Rockies before the 2022 season, missed a game during the team’s initial homestand of the season because of back tightness. Bryant is batting .149 with one home run and six RBIs.