No. 1 prospect Kris Bryant, who played exclusively third base in the minors and made his long-awaited big-league debut at third base last week, is starting in center field for the Cubs today.
Bryant got his feet wet in center field Wednesday night, shifting to the outfield from third base when Dexter Fowler left the game with a groin injury.
Fowler remains out of the lineup this afternoon against the Pirates, so manager Joe Maddon has Kris Bryant starting in center field and 30-year-old journeyman Jonathan Herrera playing third base. Bryant is 6-foot-5, which makes him one of the biggest center fielders in baseball history, but he remains in the Cubs’ long-term plans as their third baseman.
Oh, and he’s off to a great start at the plate even after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his debut. Since then Bryant is 9-for-18 (.500) with four doubles, twice as many walks (6) as strikeouts (3), and a 1.362 OPS.
