Kris Bryant's agent, Scott Boras, called out MLB for player safety concerns after the Cubs slugger went down with an injury Sunday against the Cardinals.
Bryant was attempting to beat out a double play when he slipped on a wet first-base bag and rolled his ankle. He had an MRI on Monday, which revealed a Grade 2 sprain, according to ESPN. But Boras believes the injury could've been avoided if umpires were required to towel off bases during wet weather.
“The integrity of our game is going to [be] damaged when the safety of players is not at the forefront, and Major League Baseball has dropped the ball on the wet-bag subject," Boras said (per the Chicago Sun-Times).
Kris Bryant leaves the game after this awkward play at first pic.twitter.com/q3tAX0d3KR
— Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) September 22, 2019
Boras pointed to an injury that his client Bryce Harper suffered in a similar way when he slipped on a base on a rainy day in August 2017. He said MLB has focused on other factors before giving player safety the proper attention to find a resolution.
“What have they done since Harper? The answer is, nothing,” Boras said. "They have completely skirted this issue. They had an MVP player having an MVP season dramatically get hurt and miss time. It affects playoff races and the entire safety of players and the integrity of the game. When they are very diligent to get umpires and teams to play during rain, during precipitation, trying to get the games played.
"There's been no discussion, no resolution, absolutely nothing done in this area, except the player is to bear the burden of slippery and wet bags."
Boras continued in reference to Bryant: “I’ve got a player who can’t play at the end of the season. How does that affect his team? How does that affect his salary going forward? The potential impact is enormous. And why? Why is there still no protocol?”
An MLB spokesperson told the Sun-Times that the topic has been discussed, but they haven't found a solution.
“To date, no one has come up with a bag that has proven to be better safety-wise than the bag we use now,” an MLB spokesman said.
The Cubs are expected to give an update on Bryant's status before Tuesday's game against the Pirates. Bryant, who is hitting .282 with 31 home runs and 77 RBIs this season, reportedly traveled with the team to Pittsburgh. If he's unable to play, it would be a big loss for the Cubs, who are four games back in the wild-card race entering Tuesday.