April 23--PITTSBURGH -- Third baseman Kris Bryant wouldn't have had any problems had he been moved to first base Wednesday night.
"That would have been cool to play three positions," Bryant said Thursday after playing center field in the eighth inning of a 4-3 loss at Pittsburgh.
Bryant will start in center field while Dexter Fowler rests his tight right groin. Fowler might be able to come off the bench, and Bryant knows that he's merely filling in for one game.
"It's something different," Bryant said. "Obviously it's not my position. It's Dexter's spot out there. I'm just going where they tell me. I'll have fun with it.''
Two writers quipped that the great players have played center field, such as Willie Mays, Andrew McCutchen and Joe DiMaggio.
"Don't put me in the same sentence as those guys," said Bryant, who said he played about five games in the outfield at the University of San Diego. "I'm not there. But third base is obviously the first position and the position I want to get better at. When guys go down, guys step up, and I'm here to fill that hole when needed until Dexter comes back.''
Had the Cubs tied or took the lead in the top of the ninth, Bryant would have been moved to first base because Anthony Rizzo was lifted for a pinch-runner.
Although Bryant doesn't own a first baseman's glove, he said he did play there briefly at USD. Bryant also said he played catcher in Little League.
"Catching is no fun, especially with some of these guys pitching, I'd have no clue where the ball is going," Bryant said.
Here's the Cubs' lineup:
Denorfia lf
Rizzo 1b
Soler rf
Bryant cf
Castro ss
Castillo c
Russell 2b
Hendricks p
Herrera 3b
