"Kris Bryant (back) of Rockies placed on 10-day injured list"

Plagued by back problems since joining the Colorado Rockies in 2022, outfielder Kris Bryant was placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday due to a lower back injury.

Bryant's specific ailment, lumbar degenerative disc disease, is linked to the wear and tear of the spine. The 2016 National League Most Valuable Player with the Chicago Cubs was previously sidelined twice last season with a back strain and missed nearly two months in 2022 due to back troubles.

To fill Bryant's spot on the active roster, the Rockies called up catcher Braxton Fulford from Triple-A Albuquerque. Additionally, the team moved right-hander Jeff Criswell to the 60-day injured list.

Bryant's current stint on the injured list, which is retroactive to Sunday, marks his ninth since signing a seven-year, $182 million contract with the Rockies in 2022. His highest number of games played in a season with Colorado was 80 in 2023.

In 11 games this season (10 as designated hitter), Bryant has a batting average of .154 with no home runs and one RBI in 39 at-bats.

After recording an .886 OPS in seven seasons with the Cubs, who selected him as the second overall pick in the 2013 draft, Bryant has a .695 OPS with the Rockies in parts of four seasons.

Throughout his career, Bryant has a batting average of .273 with 184 home runs and 548 RBIs in 1,054 games since debuting with the Cubs in 2015.