Bryant hopeful to finish second half strong -- and healthy

DENVER -- The first ball hit into play Tuesday night turned out to be the first ball hit the way of the Rockies’ Kris Bryant since June 2 -- the day he sustained a rib injury. That, and an oblique strain kept him on the injured list for well over a month and a half.

The liner -- in the first inning of the Rockies’ 6-0 loss to the Red Sox -- from Rob Refsnyder wasn’t easy. Bryant ranged to the warning track in the corner, stretched to snare the ball and slid on both knees. For a guy in the third year of a seven-year, $182 million contract, it was a good play expected to be made.

But the June injury, which cost him 43 games, occurred on a pop-up in foul ground, when Bryant became entangled with the Dodger Stadium netting and banged into the short wall. He sustained a back injury in Toronto on April 13 when he made a twisting catch against the right-field wall, and missed 31 games.

For a guy playing in just his 147th game under such a large deal, any play more than routine seems to be a risk.

“I hate that I’ve put myself in a position where you hold your breath whenever I make a dive or run into a fence,” Bryant said. “But that’s on me. That’s very frustrating.

“But I surprised myself -- I felt like I was moving pretty good. I didn’t look at it on video or anything, but overall it felt good. So I’ll see how I feel tomorrow, but I feel great right now.”

Bryant’s return came after three injury rehab games for Triple-A Albuquerque at Sacramento, during which he went 6-for-11 with two home runs. The first game he faced lefty Robbie Ray, a Giants pitcher also on rehab. He homered each of the next two nights, off rehabbing Giants righty starter Alex Cobb and righty Clay Helvey.

But facing big-time pitchers on a Minor League rehab assignment is not the same as in a Major League game. Against the Red Sox, Bryant went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk, with Red Sox righty starter Cooper Criswell doing much of the vanquishing of Rockies bats.

“I know they were big league guys, but it’s a different atmosphere down there,” Bryant said of his rehab assignment. “Obviously, you’re trying to come out of there feeling good, feeling strong.”

This series, which the teams have split, serves as a reminder that new, big contracts don’t always bear fruit on the field.

Former Rockies shortstop Trevor Story signed with the Red Sox going into the 2022 season -- the same spring during which Bryant signed with the Rockies. Story is at Coors for the first time since he left, ostensibly in uniform. But Story is rehabbing from a dislocated left shoulder.

Story has played in 145 games with the Red Sox -- two fewer than Bryant. The Red Sox have not made the postseason with Story, although they are contenders this year and Story is beginning to have conversations with the club about returning before season’s end. The best that can be said about the Rockies’ performance since the big signings of 2022 is that they have matched the Red Sox with no postseason trips, so far.

“I didn’t talk to him -- I’m pretty sure he’s busy,” Bryant said. “We’re all ballplayers. We want to be on the field. We want to perform. We want to be the best on the field. But sometimes you do things and your body doesn’t let you.

“I’ve been very frustrated for a while now. But I’m trying to dig myself out of a hole of injuries. Hopefully, I can finish strong and get a good number of games.”