The Cubs announced Monday in San Diego that Kris Bryant had received a cortisone injection in his ailing right knee and has been ruled out for the series opener in his old stomping grounds. Bryant has not been ruled out for Tuesday, which is a good sign. Believe it or not, getting the injection is also a good sign in that it means there’s nothing structurally amiss with the knee.
If the medical staff was concerned that there was anything that could get worse by playing on it, opting for the injection would be pretty irresponsible. Because cortisone injections — which usually comprise a corticosteroid medication and a local anesthetic — knock out pain and inflammation, they mask the body’s natural response to injury and can lead to the recipient pushing things to the point of further damage.