Kris Bryant hopes latest rehab stint with Isotopes serves as much-needed restart to Rockies career

May 14—This isn't a vacation for Kris Bryant.

But he's ready for a rejuvenation — and just getting away might be what the doctor ordered.

Since the one-time National League MVP signed his seven-year, $182 million deal with the Colorado Rockies just over two years ago, he's played just 135 games on this, his third season with the club that has now seen him make six trips to the injured list.

"It's hard to put into words. It's through the roof," Bryant told the Denver Post last week of his frustration with not yet being the player for the organization he and everyone else envisioned due to the injuries — his latest being a back strain after he slammed into an outfield wall in Toronto on April 13.

"Some days, I just sit in bed and stare at the ceiling with the frustration. It's hard."

Tuesday afternoon, however, it was hard to wipe the smile off his face as he sat in the home dugout of Isotopes Park, looking out on a field he was set to play on for his third injury rehab stint with the Triple-A affiliate — a one-game visit last season in Albuquerque and a two-game stop with the club on the road in Salt Lake in 2022.

"You just want to get out of each game feeling better than the game before — healthy and getting the timing back," Bryant said. "Obviously it'd be nice to see some good results because then you're a little more comfortable going out there. But, I mean honestly, hanging out with the guys is a lot of fun. It's a good group of guys here that work really hard. They're grinders and I have a ton of respect for the guys here.

"It's a fun time being here with these guys."

Tuesday night, the 6-foot-5 Bryant played first base for five innings for the Isotopes, who opened a six-game homestand with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. He went 0-for-2 at the plate with a walk and a run before being pulled — as planned — for Grant Lavigne. The Space Cowboys won 16-7.

The test now is to see how Bryant's back feels — not just from the high-torque twisting that occurs with his at-bats but also the up-and-down, offense/defense of a nine-inning game.

There is no time table on his Albuquerque visit, but more about how his body responds to the daily baseball routine.

"(It's gone from) when I wake up in the morning, I would have the stiffness in the morning but then it would kind of persist throughout the whole day. Whereas now I kind of have it in the morning and it's gone pretty quick. You know, hop in the shower, throw some heat on it and it's feeling good," Bryant said. "And I understand that all this is pretty normal for a baseball player that plays a lot of games and has played a lot of games throughout my life. So it's just a matter of managing it."

NOT ALONE: Bryant's quick flight from Denver on Monday night for his rehab assignment with the Isotopes wasn't a solo mission. He was joined by Nolan Jones, who is also on the Rockies' injured list with a lower back strain.

Jones did not play in Tuesday's game.