Kyle Tucker Injury: Former Major League GM Explains Cubs’ Internal Debate

When Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his right hand in June, he was able to avoid the injured list.

However, Tucker’s production went into a tailspin. After hitting .311 in 25 games in June with five home runs, Tucker hit .218 in July with only one home run. August has been even worse for the four-time All-Star: a .148 batting average, with no extra-base hits in 54 at-bats.

Tucker’s .235 slugging percentage since July 1 ranks 168th among 169 outfielders, according to Paul Hembekides of ESPN, and his minus-22 run value in the strike zone is MLB‘s worst.

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The Cubs conceded the obvious this week, when Tucker was benched following an 0-for-4 performance Monday against Milwaukee. The hope is that he will still be able to avoid the injured list, and regain some of his lost production with a little time off.

Tucker’s absence has allowed the Cubs to get a long look at Owen Caissie, their top outfield prospect. The 23-year-old has gone 4 for 11 with a home run, four RBIs, and three runs scored in four games against the Brewers.

The question of when Tucker plays again depends as much on the strength of his right hand as it does on Caissie’s ability to produce — at least in the eyes of one former major league general manager.

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“That falls on the manager and the head trainer often to decipher those things,” former Minnesota Twins general manager Thad Levine said on the “Rosters to Rings” podcast.

“It’s like that age-old debate of like, do you want to keep playing him through the injury, because you know the alternative is not great — and if he can heal fast, then you want him on the field,” Levine said. “But then all of a sudden you’re compromising his ability. And in baseball, you put (Tucker) on the IL, he’s down for 10 days, maybe we can’t afford the 10 days. It’s all part of the Rubik’s cube.”

The Cubs are trying to chase down the Brewers for first place in the National League Central. A head-to-head series is an inopportune time to tell your best player he’s going to the injured list.

The Cubs have won three consecutive games, cutting the Brewers’ lead in the division to six. Milwaukee began the month of August with a streak of 14 consecutive wins.

Perhaps the threat of having Tucker available to pinch hit off the bench remains a weapon manager Craig Counsell is unwilling to surrender.

In these situations, Levine said, “it’s a really tough thing to do, so that falls on the manager and the head trainer often times to really decipher those things.”

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