Craig Counsell Casts Doubt on Kyle Tucker’s Return
The Cubs played shorthanded again on Sunday because Matt Shaw was away from the team to attend a funeral, but that’s par for the course over the last two weeks. While they have at least been able to replace Kyle Tucker on the active roster, the outfielder’s absence continues to loom large. He hasn’t played since September 2, then delayed an IL stint for a week before eventually leaving the team to seek treatment from his own physical therapist.
With just a week left in the regular season, Tucker’s return is an open question.
“He’s hitting, yes,” Counsell told reporters prior to the Cubs’ fourth straight loss in Cincinnati on Sunday. “I think we’ve gotta kinda figure out…I think when is more important right now to figure out. We gotta figure out when and if he’s gonna be available. We got six games left, essentially, that we’re working with. Probably five if you’re ruling out Tuesday.”
That “if” is doing some very heavy lifting.
I’m old enough to remember way back before Tucker went on the IL when Counsell said he was available off the bench. That was just over two weeks ago now, but it sure feels like much longer. The Cubs have scored one or no runs in five of the 17 games Tucker has missed now, including two shutouts at the hands of the Reds in that anemic four-game sweep.
They picked a helluva time to drop four straight for the first time all season, fresh off a four-game win streak that culminated in a champagne celebration for clinching a postseason berth. The Padres won Sunday to move to within three games of the Cubs for the top Wild Card spot, and the Cubs will now host the struggling-but-hungry Mets for three beginning Tuesday.
That sweep pulled the Reds into a tie with New York for the final postseason berth, and Cincy holds the tiebreaker. We just saw how the Reds looked like a team that wanted it more over the weekend; now the Mets are in do-or-die mode while the Cubs are just trying to get guys to show up for games. There’s still time to change the narrative, but that sand is streaming through the hourglass at a quickening pace.
