Kris Bryant to Rejoin Cubs on Saturday After Shoulder Injury

The Chicago Cubs are getting the 2016 National League MVP back right before the stretch run.

According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, Kris Bryant finished a minor league rehab assignment Thursday and is expected to be activated for Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Bryant hasn't played for the Cubs since a July 23 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks because of a shoulder injury.

Bryant was also out from June 22 through July 10 and has played just 76 games this season.

He is slashing .276/.380/.474 with 11 home runs and 44 RBI in those contests, which is below his normal production. He won the 2015 National League Rookie of the Year with 26 home runs and 99 RBI, captured the 2016 NL MVP with 39 long balls and 102 RBI, and then drilled 29 homers last year while helping Chicago reach the playoffs all three seasons.

Since Bryant last played, the Cubs added Daniel Murphy to their formidable lineup. Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Murphy, Ben Zobrist, Kyle Schwarber and Willson Contreras represent a group that can do serious damage in the postseason, and that offensive depth is a primary reason the team survived a setback to arguably its best player.

Chicago sports a 78-54 record, which is the best mark in the National League and has it 4.5 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.

However, the division is far from wrapped up considering the Cubs play the Brewers six times in the first two weeks of September and finish their season with three games against the Cardinals.

Having Bryant to anchor the lineup and patrol the hot corner in those contests and then the postseason—should Chicago qualify—will bolster the Cubs' chances to capture their second World Series crown in three years.