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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Baseball notes: Kris Bryant only getting better

Chicago Cubs' Kris Bryant watches his solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) ORG XMIT: CXC106 (Nam Y. Huh / AP)

Kris Bryant is learning. Adjusting. Patching holes more quickly than major league teams can find his weaknesses.

And that’s the scary part right now for opponents of the Chicago Cubs. While the MVP talk for the sweet-swinging slugger grows in intensity, Bryant appears to be – gasp – getting better every day.

“I think that’s the big separator, is the ability to use the mental game to your advantage,” he said, “and determine the necessary adjustments you need to be a better player. And that’s just who I am. I don’t want to be average or mediocre. I want to continue to strive to be the best I can be and nothing is ever going to be good enough for me.”

Yup, that’s right. Bryant is batting .302 with 36 homers and a major league-best 112 runs scored, and he wants more. He has made at least five starts at four different positions, committing just 12 errors along the way, and he thinks he is only getting started.

Bryant’s stirring second half – he bashed 10 homers on his way to N.L. player of the month for August – has thrust the third baseman into the discussion for N.L. MVP, along with teammate Anthony Rizzo, Los Angeles shortstop Corey Seager and Washington second baseman Daniel Murphy. He could become just the sixth player to win rookie of the year and MVP in one or consecutive seasons, but the Las Vegas native isn’t too interested in the horse race for MVP.

“To even be mentioned in that category is unbelievable,” he said. “It’s very humbling and honestly, it just keeps me more determined to just go out there and do better and contribute in any way I can.”

The Cubs got Bryant with the second pick in the 2013 draft, with Mark Appel going No. 1 overall to Houston. While Appel was traded to Philadelphia in December and is still in search of his major league debut, Bryant rocketed through the minors and hit .275 with 26 homers and 99 RBIs while helping Chicago to the N.L. Championship Series last year.

It was a smashing debut by almost every measure, but what came next was even more impressive. Bryant led the N.L. with 199 strikeouts last year, so he worked on his swing even more. He has moved all over the field this year on defense and looked comfortable in every spot, providing valuable versatility for the major league-leading Cubs.

Asked about Bryant’s improvement from his rookie season, manager Joe Maddon pointed to several areas.

“Consistently shorter swing. More contact,” Maddon said. “He’s had smaller windows of chasing pitches out of the strike zone compared to last year where he did it more often. More recently, he’s been using the outfield gap, which is really impressive. So offensively, that’s what I’m seeing. Defensively, just better feet on the infield. He’s got really good feet now on the infield.”

The big test for the 24-year-old Bryant is still to come. He closed last season with a 3-for-23 slide, and then struggled in the playoffs. He batted .214 with five strikeouts as the Cubs were swept by the New York Mets in the NLCS.

In some ways, Bryant’s experience in the postseason was a launching point for his stellar sophomore year.

“Certainly, the playoff experience last year helped in terms of you know that’s probably as high as my nerves will be,” said Bryant, who homered in the All-Star Game against White Sox ace Chris Sale. “This year I just feel a lot more calmer at the plate.”

The last player to go directly from rookie of the year to MVP was Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who accomplished the feat when he was voted A.L. MVP in 2008. Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein was the general manager in Boston when the Red Sox selected Pedroia in the second round of the 2004 draft, and he is enjoying his front-row seat for Bryant’s accelerated career path.

“He’s helping us win in so many different ways,” Epstein said. “Obviously coming up big of late, which is great to see. So he deserves all the accolades that are coming his way and that may eventually come his way. But I think he’d probably be the first one to tell you that he wants the team awards, he wants the team recognition.”

Shoemaker has surgery

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker underwent surgery to stop bleeding on his brain after he was struck in the head by a line drive against the Seattle Mariners.

Shoemaker had the procedure performed late Sunday and is being treated by Dr. Manuel Ferreira of the University of Washington Medical Center. Los Angeles athletic trainer Adam Nevala is staying with Shoemaker until he is able to travel to Southern California, perhaps as soon as in a few days.

General manager Billy Eppler provided the update Monday in Oakland, saying Shoemaker had been receiving CT scans every 2-3 hours when the third image showed increased bleeding, shortly before 9 p.m. That’s when surgery was determined the next step.

“The CT scan confirmed or when they actually did the operation that confirmed where the bleeding was,” Eppler said. “They were able to access that area. They were able to seal it, stop the bleeding. He was wheeled back up into recovery and is recovering fine.”

With one out in the second inning, Shoemaker was hit on the right side of the head on a sharp liner off the bat of Kyle Seager – a ball with an exit velocity of 105 mph, according to MLB Statcast. He was able to turn his head slightly to avoid a direct blow to his face but was unable to get his glove up in time.

Shoemaker went to the ground immediately as medical staff rushed to the field. He was down for several minutes being tended to and was bleeding from the spot where he was hit. Teammates knelt around the mound and Seager anxiously watched from first base.

Shoemaker eventually walked off the field with athletic trainers at his side.

Eppler said the 29-year-old Shoemaker – placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday – is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for next season.

“Yeah, as far as I know,” he said.

The Angels expect Shoemaker to be cleared to travel back to Southern California sometime this week.

The GM has been in touch with Shoemaker’s wife, Danielle, while Nevala spoke to Shoemaker on Monday.

“He feels good, as good as he can feel,” Eppler said.

Manager Mike Scioscia had reached out to Shoemaker by text message, not wanting to bother him yet with a phone call.

“Everybody’s been texting him. I don’t think anyone wants to call him right now,” Scioscia said. “We’ve exhaled a little bit since. They monitored him and decided they needed to do surgery. They went in there and hopefully corrected what was causing the bleeding. He’s resting comfortably and everything looks like it’s taken care of. Now it’s just the recuperation process for Matty. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.”

Demoted right-hander Tim Lincecum is a candidate to fill Shoemaker’s rotation spot.

“There’s a number of candidates,” Scioscia said. “Haven’t decided on what the final look will be, but Tim threw a really good game last night.”

The Angels recalled right-hander A.J. Achter from Triple-A Salt Lake, while righty Daniel Wright also joined the club.