10:02 pm: Counsell publicly confirmed the fracture in June, but said Tucker is healthy now (via Rogers).
9:52 pm: Bear Star Kyle Tucker ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reported a fractured right hand in June. Tucker tried to jump his right hand into second base with the stolen base on June 1 against the Reds.
The initial X-rays recovered negatively. However, Rogers wrote that follow-up tests showed a small fracture in his hand between his finger and little finger. The Cubs did not announce their diagnosis at the time and Tucker did not spend any time on the injury list. Four-time All-Stars prefer to play in injuries.
Looking back, question whether this is prudent. Tucker has been one of the best MLB hitters in the first two months of the season. He has a .284/.395/.524 slash of .284/.395/.524 and has 12 home runs in 269 sets on June 1. Since then, he hit .236/.352/.368 with nearly the same game time. Tucker has connected six long balls over the past two and a half months.
While the injury is definitely making an impact, it is worth noting that Tucker actually continues to perform well in the immediate consequences. He hit .311 with five home runs in June. It wasn’t until July that things completely disappeared. He has hit .189/.325/.235 in his last 38 games.
Tucker’s plate discipline is still strong – in fact, he walks more often than he hits during that time – but his power has completely evaporated. His hard contact rate (at least 95 mph in the first two months). It remained steady in June at 42.9%, but everyone has dropped below 30% over the past two months.
This drama of Tucker’s capable batsman naturally leads to speculation about his health. Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy plays the Cubs this week, and he believes the outfielder is getting injured. “I think Tucker is hurt. I don’t have any information, but Tucker is different,” Murphy said on the 670 score.
Tucker himself insisted that he was in good health. But, Baseball Operations President Jed Hoyer admitted to Rogers: “When you look at his number, it has an impact on him. It’s the nature of these small injuries. They can do it.” Over the past three games, Cubs captain Craig Counsell has excluded Tucker from the roster, including Tuesday’s doubles. Chicago wins all three games of MLB’s best winemaker Owen Caissie Try the right field. Counsell has not yet promised Tucker’s position in tomorrow’s series.
The Cubs are still six games in Milwaukee in the middle of the NL. They are comfortable in the wildcard position, which makes it necessary for them to mix it on more Tucker days. If they want to make it to the playoffs, they will need to find a way to get him back into play. Tucker’s personal injury and downturn were obviously at an inappropriate time, as he’s been months away from free agents. He is the No. 1 player in his class and is usually expected to command 400mm+ when he enters the 29-year-old season.
