Renteria reiterates long-term plan for Bryant

MILWAUKEE -- Cubs manager Rick Renteria reads the Minor League reports, and though he can't help but notice what Kris Bryant is doing at Double-A Tennessee, he is not lobbying for the third baseman to get to the big leagues too soon.

On Friday, Bryant hit his Southern League-leading 17th home run and was batting .347 overall. The third baseman, rated the Cubs' top prospect by MLB.com after being selected by them in the first round of last June's First-Year Player Draft, entered Saturday having homered in three straight games. He was batting .404 in May with six doubles, 12 homers and 34 RBIs.

The message the Cubs' front office gave to prospects was to dominate at their respective levels to make a promotion likely. What more does Bryant have to do?

"There are a lot of people working with those kids down there, and the front office is in contact with them and we talk; we all have to be on the same page," Renteria said Saturday. "When those decisions are made, we all have to be sure that when we make them, that we have the understanding that sometimes there are hiccups."

Renteria saw that firsthand in San Diego. He was on the Padres' coaching staff when Anthony Rizzo was first promoted to the big league team in June 2011. Rizzo was starring at Triple-A Tucson when promoted, but he batted .143 in 35 games with San Diego, and he was demoted to the Minors until Sept. 4.

"It was a little rough, and he had to go back," Renteria said. "Everybody's experience is different. I do think we all have to be very mindful that we're looking out for the best long-term interest of the player and the club."

Renteria said it was good to see the positive numbers in the Minor League reports.

"I'm sure they're building confidence with the desire to come here," he said. "As an organization, we have to be mindful and sure that when we pull the trigger on any decision that's made, it's for the betterment of the player and for our organization."