It was just a bruised heel.
But 43 at-bats later, it started to look more like a sore shoulder, specifically, that sore shoulder that never got better and derailed Kris Bryant’s 2018 season even as he played through it.
Javy Baez’s bruised heel the 2019 version of Bryant’s shoulder?
The Cubs’ shortstop has two answers to that notion.
The short answer: “No.”
The longer answer to whether it’s affecting his hitting came during a 5-for-6 outburst that started in the sixth inning of the victory against the Angels on Monday and continued through a three-hit performance in the 6-3 win over the Rockies on Tuesday at Wrigley Field.