Hey, hey! Kyle Tucker is back with the Cubs! After missing three weeks because of a calf strain the Cubs are welcoming their All-Star back to the starting lineup for Friday’s series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.
Things were looking bleak late last week, when Tucker traveled to Florida to get more help addressing his calf issue that wasn’t making much progress. He was placed on the injured list on Sept. 9, and was eligible to return on Sept. 16, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Tucker was stuck in his recovery, but he took batting practice on Wednesday at Wrigley Field and now he’s officially back.
Tucker is batting fourth as the designated hitter against the Cardinals. The Cubs are still playing for home field advantage in their Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres. The magic number to clinch home field against the Padres is two.
Tucker was on fire prior to his calf injury in early September. In his last 11 games Tucker posted a slash line of .400/.489/.800, with four home runs and four doubles, going 16-for-40 at the plate. The Cubs definitely need him in the middle of the lineup if they have any chance to make a deep run in the postseason.
To make room on the active roster the Cubs optioned veteran Carlos Santana. He’ll be on the taxi squad for the playoffs.
(Previous Update)
Boy oh boy am I getting worried about Kyle Tucker after the latest update surrounding his seemingly nagging calf strain. The Chicago Cubs have been without the All-Star right fielder since Sept. 2, and after not returning a few days ago when he was eligible to come off the injured list Tucker is now in Florida meeting with a specialist.
Nope, don’t like that whatsoever because as Tucker continues to miss more time the likelihood of him returning in time for the playoffs continue to decline.
Via The Athletic.
Tucker is scheduled to meet with Jeremy Maddox, a Tampa-based physical therapist who is also a consultant for the New York Yankees, according to his online bio. Tucker, who grew up in Tampa, has previously worked with this group as part of his offseason program, and after fracturing his right shin last year while playing for the Houston Astros.
Tucker is expected to rejoin the team next week at Wrigley Field, though his return to the lineup remains uncertain.
“We’re aligned with Kyle,” Counsell said. “This is the best way for him to make some improvements. Unfortunately, we plateaued, and we weren’t making progress. That’s frustrating for Kyle. That’s the concern about getting him back soon.”
The Cubs will begin their Wild Card series on Sept. 30. That leaves Tucker about a week worth of games if he does indeed return to the lineup following this four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds. Fans are waiting for some good news, but right now it doesn’t look great.
Of course, you don’t want Tucker coming back too early, so I guess we’ll see how the calf feels after this weekend. Fingers crossed!
