Kris Bryant Recalled from Triple-A Iowa by Cubs

Good luck sleeping tonight, Chicago Cubs fans.

The day the entire North Side of Chicago has been breathlessly waiting for will arrive Friday, as the team will call up prospect Kris Bryant from Triple-A Iowa to join the Cubs at Wrigley Field against the San Diego Padres.

Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago broke the news Thursday night and also noted that Bryant will take third baseman Mike Olt’s spot on the roster because Olt is headed to the disabled list. Olt was hit on the wrist by a pitch Saturday and has taken just two at-bats since.

Bryant took to Twitter to announce the news as well:

On Friday, the Cubs announced Bryant would be hitting fourth on their official Twitter feed:

"

Here is today's #Cubs starting lineup. Preview: http://t.co/NAJzzqsFLs #LetsGo pic.twitter.com/WcSxwcAQ5X

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 17, 2015"

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the significance of where Bryant is hitting:

MLB provided a quote from Bryant on Friday as he prepared for his anticipated debut:

Bryant led the majors this year with nine home runs in spring training and hit a combined .327 with 52 home runs and 48 doubles in 740 plate appearances in two years of minor league play before this season, per Victor Mather of The New York Times.

The timing of the move is important with Bryant because there are 171 days left in the 2015 season as of Friday. A player must be on the MLB roster for 172 days in a year for it to count as a full season of service time, so the Cubs will retain an extra year on the back end of Bryant’s contract that they wouldn't have if he had started Opening Day on the team. 

Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports wasn’t surprised with the timing:

Four different Cubs have started at third base through the team’s first eight games, and ESPN Stats & Info pointed out they haven’t exactly been successful:

The Cubs lineup already features prominent names such as Anthony Rizzo (32 home runs last season), Starlin Castro (three-time All-Star) and Jorge Soler. Adding Bryant in the middle of that group will make Chicago's offense one of the most potent in the National League on paper.

Rogers suggested as much:

There will certainly be plenty of pressure on Bryant’s shoulders when he arrives at Wrigley Field, especially since the Cubs have famously not won the World Series since 1908. How he handles it will go a long way toward defining the Cubs' season, though at least he has some protection surrounding him in the lineup.

Buckle up, Cubs fans. It’s officially Bryant time.