The Los Angeles Dodgers committed heavily to their lineup this past offseason, signing former Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker to a massive contract in hopes of extending their championship window.
And while Tucker has been one of the club’s more productive hitters this season, he might not feel like he is quite living up to that investment.
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Los Angeles Dodgers Superstar Kyle Tucker Struggles After Leaving Chicago Cubs
In his first 56 games with the Dodgers since leaving the Chicago Cubs, Tucker is slashing just .242/.338/.391, with 50 hits and 45 strikeouts while batting in the middle of the Dodgers’ star-studded order. After signing a four-year, $240 million contract to join the team, it seems like he could be providing more.
“He has just four home runs and a .729 OPS, struggling to find much power in his left-handed mechanics,” Jack Harris noted for the New York Post. “The biggest ‘red flag,’ (manager Dave) Roberts said before Sunday’s game, remained Tucker’s elevated rate of chasing pitches (24% this year, compared to 17.5% the last two years) and whiffing on swings (22.7% this year, compared to 20.2% and 19% the past two seasons).”
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Los Angeles Dodgers Slugger Kyle Tucker Makes A Change After Leaving Chicago Cubs
And Tucker altered his usual pregame preparation last week, something he had not yet done during his first season with the Dodgers.
“There was some mild surprise around the batting cage when Kyle Tucker walked up around 3 p.m. on Saturday,” Fabian Ardaya reported for The Athletic. “The Dodgers leave an option open for hitters to hit off a high-velocity machine in their early work, but Tucker hadn’t deviated from his typical routine until now in his first season with the Dodgers after signing a four-year, $240 million deal this winter.”
The adjustment comes as Tucker works through a stretch that has fallen below the lofty expectations that accompanied his arrival in Los Angeles. Despite remaining one of baseball’s most complete offensive players, the Dodgers have continued to seek ways of unlocking even more production from the former Silver Slugger.
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While Tucker’s numbers remain strong by most standards, they trail some of the elite production he delivered during his peak stretches with both the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs.
Veteran hitters often rely heavily on consistency in their preparation, particularly during their first season with a new organization. For Tucker, the move represented a willingness to experiment despite years of success at the major league level.
The Dodgers are unlikely to overreact to any short-term offensive fluctuations from a player with Tucker’s resume. Still, the fact that he departed from his established routine for the first time since leaving Chicago illustrates the level of attention being paid to every aspect of his game.
