Kris Bryant Out vs. Cardinals Due to Illness, Will Not Play Saturday

Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant did not play Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals due to a stomach illness. Manager Joe Maddon said he will also miss Saturday's game, per Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago. 

The slugger was a major reason the Cubs snapped their 108-year title drought in 2016 seeing how he won National League MVP behind slash totals of .292/.385/.554, 39 home runs and 102 RBI. Bryant's versatility was also critical, as he saw time at third base, first base, shortstop, left field, center field and right field, per FanGraphs.

Bryant also won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2015 and has followed up his first two seasons by hitting .299 with seven home runs and 18 RBI so far in 2017.

The Cubs do still have plenty of impact players such as Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, Ben Zobrist, Addison Russell, Javier Baez and Willson Contreras to anchor the lineup while Bryant is out. What's more, Baez is versatile enough to play the hot corner, and Tommy La Stella gives Chicago some depth.

Still, Bryant is arguably the brightest star on a team filled with them, and the Cubs can ill afford to lose him for long as they strive for another World Series title.