Kris Bryant On Board For Outfield Experiment

(CBS) The Cubs are moving forward with their plan to use prized third base prospect Kris Bryant in the outfield this spring, and he's on board with the idea.

Because of shoulder fatigue that Bryant has said is rather routine, he'll be the designated hitter Monday in the Cubs' afternoon contest against the Padres. The plan is that later this week he will get the chance to play a corner outfield spot, which could be Bryant's future position in the big leagues.

"I'm excited," Bryant told the Sun-Times about the outfield experiment. "So as long as I'm on the field playing, catchin' the ball, running down some fly balls, it'll be fun. I played some outfield before in college. It was fun. I'm looking forward to another challenge."

Because the Cubs have a hole to fill at third base, Bryant will likely receive most of his playing time there this season. What lies ahead after that is still anyone's guess, but the Cubs' goals is to have as many options as possible.

More pressing on many fans' minds is when Bryant will get his big league promotion. He's hitting .450 with a Cactus League-leading six homers this spring, but he likely will be sent to the minors for a couple weeks to start the season because of service time considerations that would enable the Cubs to control his contract for an extra year on the back end.

670 The Score's Dan Bernstein wrote Monday morning why sending Bryant to Triple-A Iowa is the right move to make.