The Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday without Kyle Tucker in his lineup, as he was nursing a finger injury. According to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, Tucker hurt his finger on June 1. Since the beginning of July, Tucker has struggled, leading to some connection between the finger and the slump. Tucker and Cubs president Jed Hoyer spoke with Bastian about the injury.
“I know it did bother him for a while,” Hoyer said, per Bastian. “I don’t know whether it still bothers him, whether it created some bad habits along the way with compensating and things like that. There’s no question that when you look at his numbers, it’s had an impact on him, for sure. That’s the nature sometimes of these small injuries — they can do that.”
“It’s fine,” Tucker told the media. “I’ve got to go out and do my job regardless of how I feel. I’m just trying to continue that the best I can.”
Tucker flew out of the gates for the Cubs this season, with 17 homers and a .931 OPS through June 30. But recent weeks have not been kind to him or the team, especially as the Milwaukee Brewers have taken the division lead. His free agency is looming and could change the Cubs' outlook if he leaves.
The Cubs should not be scared away from signing Tucker just because of this slump. He is the bat that can change their lineup while Pete Crow-Armstrong develops into an MVP-caliber player. Those two combined can help them compete in the strong National League, even as the Dodgers continue to spend.
The Cubs gave Tucker Wednesday's game off, so the Thursday off day gave him a full 48 hours off his feet. Will he be back in the lineup on Friday on the road against the St Louis Cardinals?
