Cubs' Kris Bryant Out Of Lineup Friday, Likely A Few More Days With Sprained Ankle

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant is out of the starting lineup for Friday afternoon's game against the Braves with a lower right ankle sprain and is expected to miss the entire weekend series.

Bryant was injured while running the bases and scoring on a double by teammate Anthony Rizzo in the third inning of Thursday's win against the Brewers. He stayed in for a bit before he was replaced in left field by Javier Baez to start the fifth inning.

An MRI confirmed the ankle sprain for Bryant, who's not expected to need a trip to the disabled list. There remains an outside chance Bryant could pinch-hit for the Cubs throughout the weekend.

"We are going to keep him in the trainer's room the beginning part of the game," manager Joe Maddon said Friday. "We asked the trainers to let us know if he can help us in the later part of the game. We will know, game in progress if he is able to hit late."

Javier Baez will start at third base Friday, and Jorge Soler will play left field.

Bryant's in the midst of a six-game hitting streak. He's hitting .289 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 21 games this season.

"Historically sprained ankles are tricky," Maddon said. "(The trainer) seems optimistic about this whole thing. If we just kind of rest him a little bit right now, not really abuse it, it should go away relatively fast. The thing about sprained ankles is the tendency to rejam it somehow. That is the problem with an ankle sprain. You can be feeling fine and after a week or two, you can hit it wrong and you feel it. The biggest part is that someone isn't hurt any further. You can play with a soreness, but you want to protect against re-injury."

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.