Dec. 09--The Chicago Cubs and agent Scott Boras disagree over the timing of Kris Bryant's major league debut, but they are in agreement over the handling of the rehabilitation of fellow rookie standout Addison Russell.
Cubs President Theo Epstein said that Russell healed quickly after missing the National League Championship Series due to a moderate left hamstring strain suffered while legging out a triple in the fourth game of the NL Division Series.
But to ensure that Russell remains healthy for 2016, the Cubs and Boras agreed that the 21-year-old shortstop continue his off-season preparation at the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Ala.
Epstein said one of his medical staff members contacted Steve Odgers, who operates Boras Sports Training Institute and was a former strength and conditioning coach with the White Sox, to work together on a plan for Russell, who is represented by Boras.
"I think one thing the Boras Corporation does very well is to stay involved in their players when they're going through obstacles, whether it's medical or things going on in their personal lives," Epstein said. "They do a nice job of helping with the support of the players and their continued development, and obviously that's something we do on a daily basis.
"So why not we work together as much as possible? It always helps the player to have his organization and representation align so that he doesn't have to deal with unnecessary contentiousness. There are times when it becomes adversary. You deal with it at the time. But it's less frequent than you would imagine."
Epstein's comments occurred one day after a grievance filed in May by the Major League Baseball Players Association became public. The grievance alleges that the Cubs manipulated Bryant's service time so that he wouldn't be eligible for free agency until after 2021.
Bryant is represented by Boras.
