CHICAGO -- The prolonged nature of Kyle Tucker’s uncharacteristic offensive struggles have necessitated questions for weeks about whether the Cubs star was playing through a health issue. He sustained a finger injury in June, but both Tucker and team personnel have downplayed that as a lingering problem.
On Wednesday night, Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed an ESPN report that Tucker was diagnosed in June with a hairline fracture in his right hand, which he injured on a slide into second base on June 1 against the Reds. Initial X-rays were negative on what was described as a jammed right ring finger, but subsequent testing revealed the small break.
“He was sore for a little while, but was able to play,” Counsell said after Wednesday’s 4-3 win over the Brewers. “We did some more imaging and it showed a small fracture that was healing. And that’s it. Is it possible that this, through the playing through it, changed some things? Yeah, absolutely. I think it’s probably likely that at some point that happened. But, he wanted to play.”
Counsell answered “absolutely” when asked if the fracture had since healed.
“It hasn’t been an issue,” Counsell said.
Tucker was out of the starting lineup for Wednesday’s game after also being held out of the mix for Tuesday’s doubleheader sweep of the rival Brewers. The goal was to give the right fielder a few days off to focus on his swing and take a mental break without the pressure of a game hanging over him.
With an 0-for-4 showing in Monday’s loss to Milwaukee, Tucker slipped into a 2-for-25 (.080) slump over his past seven games. He has hit just .148 with no extra-base hits and a .381 OPS in 15 games in August, with his last home run back on July 19. In that same time period, Tucker’s ground-ball rate has soared.
On Tuesday morning, Tucker was asked again if he was playing through any lingering injury issues.
“I don’t really think it matters how I feel or what I think,” he said. “As long as I go out there and help our team win, that’s all that matters. Our game is based off how successful you are on the field as an individual or a team, regardless of how you feel.”
He later added that he was “fine going out there” from a health perspective, but that does not mean the finger issue in June did not have a lasting impact. One possibility is that the setback caused Tucker to alter his swing mechanics, creating bad habits that have worsened as the season has continued on.
At first, while playing through the issue in June, Tucker was still performing at a high level in the batter’s box. He exited the game on June 1 and returned as a pinch-hitter on June 4 on the road against the Nationals. In the next 22 games, he hit .313 with five homers, seven doubles, 13 RBIs and a .985 OPS. From that point on, Tucker has hit .191/.323/.243 in a 39-game span.
Overall this season, Tucker has hit .261 with 18 homers, 21 doubles, 62 RBIs, 25 stolen bases, more walks (79) than strikeouts (77) and an .821 OPS, but his slugging percentage (.447) has dropped to its lowest level since his brief rookie introduction to the Majors in ‘18.
“I know it did bother him for a while,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said earlier this month about Tucker’s hand injury. “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 of these small injuries. They can do that.”
Earlier this week, Hoyer said this was not a situation that would require a stint on the injured list for Tucker.
“He’s healthy,” Hoyer said.
After Wednesday’s win, Cubs rookie Matt Shaw praised Tucker for doing all he could to stay on the field for the ballclub.
“Those are the types of guys that you want around you,” Shaw said. “The fact that he’s going through that and he’s trying to grind for us and [find] any way he can to put himself in a good position to play, that just kind of shows you the type of guy he is and the kind of teammate he is. And I think for all of us, that helps motivate us as a team.”