The Chicago Cubs have struggled a little bit offensively. They also are witnessing star right fielder Kyle Tucker go through a brutal slump of his own. This has some Cubs fans a little worried. Tucker is still hitting .271/.384/.474 on the season with 18 home runs, 61 RBI, a 4.5 WAR and an .859 OPS, but Chicago is no longer at the top of the NL Central.
A resurgence from Tucker could get them back to the that spot. The four-time All-Star had dealt with a finger injury earlier in the season, and fans may be worried that it's still affecting him.
However, Cubs manager Craig Counsell did his best to calm any concerns and continued to express faith in his slugger.
“There’s a lot of good things happening there, it’s just he’s missing some pitches he feels like he should hit,” Counsell said of Tucker. “That’s hitting sometimes. You miss a pitch you should hit, a pitcher makes a good pitch and you’re walking back to the dugout. That’s the fine line of hitting in the big leagues.”
Craig Counsell not concerned about Kyle Tucker's struggles
Counsell is a former player, so he can certainly attest to how things work in terms of hitting. Sometimes, guys produce. Other times, they struggles. But Counsell seems to believe this will just be a blip on the radar screen for Tucker and that he'll eventually pull himself out of his slump.
But it's understandable that Cubs fans are a little worried. They want to see the Cubs catch the Milwaukee Brewers, and if Tucker is compromised in any way, that makes their road to the top a little bit harder.
It might just be taking Tucker a little while to rediscover his stroke, but his track record suggests that Counsell is right and that he will eventually break out and be the Kyle Tucker that Cubs fans know and love.
Tucker was acquired from the Houston Astros last offseason. He'll enter free agency at the end of this season and will likely command a massive contract. But for now, he'll help the Cubs try and chase down the Brewers and ultimately break out of his prolonged slump.
In addition to his four All-Star nods, Tucker is a former World Series champion and Silver Slugger, and with the Cubs right in the thick of the playoff race, it may only a matter of time before he busts out.