MESA, Ariz. (670 The Score) -- Third baseman Kris Bryant reported to Cubs spring training with a smile on his face and full health for the first time since last May, when he injured his left shoulder on a slide in Cincinnati.
The ailment would plague Bryant for the rest of 2018, as he landed on the disabled list twice. Bryant hit .272 with 13 homers, 52 RBIs and an .834 OPS in 102 games, which all represented career-low marks. The injury affected his extension on his swing.
"There is a lot of medical terms I won't get into," Bryant said. "I just know that there was a bunch of bone bruising from the impact of my shoulder into first base. The only real way to heal it is rest and not using it. Me swinging one-handed with that joint in there was probably not good for it. Sometimes your instincts take over."
Bryant declared himself "ready to go, full-steam ahead" now with the pain and swing issues behind him. Bryant first focused on his strength and conditioning in the offseason before moving on to swinging again. He believes he's "back to who I am."
"I made a point of getting my strength back before I began to hit," Bryant said. "I did it that way so I could go into it with a free mind and just be who I am. We did a ton of work on the shoulder and extension exercises. I think I got to a point where my left shoulder was stronger then my right shoulder. After that I went to hitting, and it all came back to me."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
