Kyle Tucker Played with Fracture: Performance from Stellar to Fall in Cubs

Kyle Tucker Plays with Fracture: Impact on Cubs Performance

Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker was diagnosed in June with a stress fracture in his right hand, according to sources close to the team. Tucker, 28, chose to keep playing for the league-leading Cubs, avoiding a stint on the injured list despite compiling a .982 OPS in June. However, his numbers have declined since the beginning of July, leading to him being given several days off this week to recover. Tucker’s injury occurred while sliding into second base against the Cincinnati Reds on June 1st. Initial X-rays on his right finger were negative, and the team indicated it was a jammed finger. However, subsequent images revealed a small fracture in the upper part of his hand, near where the pinky and ring finger meet, according to sources familiar with the images. New images taken in mid-June showed that the injury was healing, but it was still affecting Tucker, who may have begun favoring his hand, leading to poor mechanics.

“There’s no doubt that, looking at his numbers, this has affected him, no doubt,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said recently. “That’s the nature sometimes of these little injuries. They can do that.”

Jed Hoyer

Since July, Tucker is batting .189 with only four extra-base hits and an alarming 54% ground ball rate this month. After going 0-4 on Monday, manager Craig Counsell indicated that Tucker would have a few days off, although he is expected to return to the lineup during the team’s next trip to the West Coast. Brewers manager Pat Murphy even addressed the situation, saying during an appearance on the Cubs’ flagship radio station on Tuesday: “I think Tucker is hurt. I don’t have any information, but Tucker isn’t the same.” Tucker has been repeatedly asked about the finger, opting not to use it as an excuse.

“I’m fine,” Tucker said Tuesday. “I’ve played, for the most part, every game this year. I’m fine going out there.”

Kyle Tucker

Tucker started the year explosively, compiling a .931 OPS with 20 stolen bases in the first three months of the season. He was named to his fourth All-Star Game, starting the mid-season classic for the first time in his eight-year career. Hand injuries can be complicated, leading to missed games or swing issues, like the one Tucker is going through. His former teammate in Houston, Yordan Alvarez, has been out since the beginning of May due to a small hand fracture. Tucker played for more than two months with a fracture. He has been healthy for most of his career, but missed time last season due to a fractured tibia. He is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the year. The Cubs hope that the rest time this week will help him be well for the final stretch of the season.

“At first, for me, it was going to be two days [of rest],” manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday afternoon. “We’ll see from there.”

Craig Counsell