The Los Angeles Dodgers' newest signing, Kyle Tucker, went from the team's most-prized signing to their most scrutinized over a “he doesn't love baseball” rumor. His former Chicago Cubs teammate Michael Busch, however, surfaced as a defender.
Busch ripped the narrative surrounding the new LA addition with Foul Territory on Wednesday.
“Tucker was a great teammate. He was always out there, always working hard, always playing hard. He was a great teammate,” Busch said during MLB Spring Training.
Tucker addressed the rumors back in January. Fans notice that the All-Star doesn't show his emotions even after a home run, hence why the “lack of enthusiasm” label got plastered onto him.
Tucker, though, insists that's just his personality and aims to block out the noise with the Dodgers.
Did Kyle Tucker thank the Cubs before joining the Dodgers?
Tucker is grateful for his time in the Windy City. But he feels the same way about the Houston Astros — who he played for from 2018 to 2024.
“Yeah, I mean, I've played with a lot of really good players throughout my career. I'm very fortunate to be a part of really good teams at the same time. So, I mean, this team is no different from the rest,” Tucker said regarding the Dodgers.
He admits, though, that LA has become a “weird” adjustment since it's his third stop in the last three years.
“It's kind of part of the game,” Tucker said. “And the more you play in spring training, once the season starts and everything, it kind of just feels like every other day, and you get used to it.”
Tucker becomes a new star hitting option for Dave Roberts and the back-to-back World Series champs. Many fans immediately envision Roberts plugging Tucker at No. 2 in the batting order behind lead-off hitter Shohei Ohtani.
