Rockies' Kris Bryant gives update on back procedure, what comes next

DENVER — Still attempting to return to baseball, Kris Bryant came back to the Colorado Rockies clubhouse on Saturday after undergoing an ablation procedure in an attempt to alleviate the pain he has felt in his lower back from lumbar degenerative disc disease.

Bryant, who has been on the injured list since April 13 with the back issue, described the procedure as "a little more invasive" that what he has already tried this year and in the past (including cortisone shots) to eliminate the back pain that has been a factor in limiting him to 170 games in his four seasons with Colorado.

"I'm just trying to do anything to relieve pain and get back to feeling somewhat of a baseline and working from there," Bryant said. "I feel like I got stabbed in the back right now. It's not ideal, but I'm in good spirits."

Those good spirits will be needed by Bryant as he carves out his next attempt to return to the field. He admitted it is likely to be a slow grind to get back into baseball shape and return to the help the Rockies in the near future.

"For me, at this point, it's really just one day at a time and just continuing to do everything I can that's in my power and in the training staff's power to find a way to navigate this," Bryant said.

Rockies manager Bud Black believes that there is a path for Bryant to return after hitting necessary checkpoints along the way.

"The timeline will be underway here probably in the next five or six days and hopefully that all goes well and he can ramp up the baseball activities to the point where we can get him back on the field," Black said. "From the medical side, doctors said everything went perfectly as the ablation procedure dictates. Now we just have to let nature take its course.

"In the short term, that's getting him back into shape. Get him back in the weight room. Get him on the field. Get his strength back."

The 33-year-old Bryant has played in just 11 games this year, slashing .154/.195/.205 in 41 plate appearances. His injury is just one of the numerous things that have gone wrong for the Rockies this season. Colorado entered Saturday's home game against the San Diego Padres with a 6-32 record, matching the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the most losses in a season's first 38 games in MLB's Modern Era.

"I just feel for the guys here," Bryant said, looking around the Rockies clubhouse. "I love these guys. These guys keep battling. The attitudes are there. People are going to play better. I love the work ethic here, but we have to just keep going."

That's true for not only the Rockies as a whole, but Bryant as well. He isn't ready to undergo major back surgery and is hoping the ablation procedure will help him return to the field without being limited by pain.

"Right now, I feel like I'm in a good spot," Bryant said. "It (pain) affects me physically and mentally, and probably mores it just wears on you. It's not an easy thing for me to deal with, but I'm doing the best I can with a pretty crappy situation."