Kyle Tucker Reportedly Suffered Hand Fracture, Declined IL Stint

As first reported by ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, right fielder Kyle Tucker was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his right hand as a result of his awkward slide against the Reds on June 1. Rogers reported that initial X-rays were negative, but that additional imaging revealed a slight fracture near where the ring finger and pinkie meet. Tucker opted against an IL stint and went on to have his best month of the season, but his performance over the last few weeks has really fallen off.

It’s great timing that this news came out the same day I wrote about how it seemed more likely a foul ball to the knee was to blame for Tucker’s statistical tumble. While I still feel like there’s more to this, especially given the timing of the events, but we’ve also noted multiple times that it could have been a matter of playing hurt and causing residual issues.

“He probably changed his mechanics a bit while fighting through it,” Jed Hoyer explained earlier this week. “And I think that probably is a big part of it. I mean, he is a little bit different mechanically than he was at the beginning of the year, and that’s what he’s working hard to get back to.

“Clearly, he’s struggling; you can see it in his face, in his body language, how much he’s struggling. He’s such a natural hitter. For a guy like that to go through an extended stretch like this, I’m sure it’s one of the first times in his life he’s probably gone through this. It’s hard. Obviously, it’s a big year for him and he wants to help the team.”

Coincidentally enough, this is the second year in a row in which Tucker was belatedly diagnosed with a fracture after initially suffering a jam or contusion. It’s roughly the bajillionth time we’ve heard of the Cubs sort of letting things play out with injuries rather than addressing them proactively. In this case, however, Tucker’s June numbers provided no reason to bench him.

Still, it’s not a great look.