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Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Thursday that Bryant has progressed from his left shoulder injury as expected and should resume hitting in January, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.
Bryant ended the year in the lineup for the Cubs, but he was playing at less-than-optimal health once he returned in September following an extended stay on the disabled list. That was reflected in his underwhelming numbers over the season's final month, during which the third baseman slashed .265/.354/.422. Fortunately for Bryant, surgery wasn't deemed necessary to address the shoulder, with the 26-year-old instead opting for rest and rehab to treat the matter. Epstein's update suggests everything has gone according to plan for Bryant during the first couple months of the offseason, so the expectation remains that he'll enter spring training without any limitations.
