Kris Bryant Says He's 'Optimistic' He'll Avoid DL Stint with Ankle Injury

After leaving Wednesday's game against the Washington Nationals with an ankle injury, Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant is hopeful he can avoid a stint on the disabled list.  

Per Comcast SportsNet's Patrick Mooney, Bryant said prior to Thursday's series finale with the Nationals he's "optimistic" the ankle sprain won't force him to the DL. 

The play occurred in the fifth inning when Bryant rolled his ankle on the third base bag after catching a pop fly off the bat of Matt Wieters. 

The Cubs officially announced Bryant suffered a "mild to moderate" right ankle sprain. Cubs manager Joe Maddon said after the game he was hopeful the reigning National League MVP would only need a short time to recover. 

"It's unfortunate," Maddon said, via MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. "Hopefully, it'll just be a couple days. ... Let's keep moving it forward and hope it's not too bad."

Bryant has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise frustrating season for the Cubs. He's hitting .264/.395/.520 with 16 home runs in 74 games.