Kris Bryant watch: Prospect in Iowa's starting lineup Thursday in New Orleans

Friday is the first day the Cubs can call up Kris Bryant to the Major-League club while retaining an extra year of control over him before reaching free agency.

Bryant is in New Orleans on Thursday night for a Triple-A doubleheader and is in the Iowa Cubs’ starting lineup for the first game.

If the Cubs decide to call Bryant up for this weekend’s home series against the Padres, it likely wouldn’t happen until after he plays one or both games Thursday in New Orleans.

If you want to track Bryant’s progress in the minors, milb.com has a featured tab on its homepage with daily updates until his callup.