The Chicago Cubs have been struggling badly in the month of August. They once had command in the National League Central, but have watched the Milwaukee Brewers surge past them thanks to a 14-game winning streak. That streak has essentially buried everybody else in the division, even the Cubs, who are now nine games back of first place following Monday's loss to the red-hot Brewers.
The Cubs still lead the NL Wild Card race, but their chances of winning the Central have gone from slim to none. A big part of the problem has been Kyle Tucker, who was recently benched amid a prolonged slump. Whether it's a lingering finger injury or a late-summer swoon or something else, it's come at the worst possible time for Chicago.
His struggles may ultimately come back to bite the Cubs down the stretch and cost them a chance at a World Series title.
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Kyle Tucker's struggles could cost Cubs in the end
Tucker has still hit 18 home runs and is reaching base at a .374 clip while also slugging .447, posting a 4.1 WAR, .821 OPS and 139 OPS+ for the year. He even has driven in 62 runs and stolen 25 bases.
Unfortunately for Tucke, he has watched his batting average dip to .261 on the year, which isn't bad by any stretch, but it's a far cry from the Kyle Tucker everybody is used to. Clearly, something is wrong with Tucker, and the Cubs have at least been proactive by choosing to give him a few days off.
"We're going to have to take a little step back here, for sure, and just give him some days off to reset him, hopefully, because he's frustrated," manager Craig Counsell said on Monday.
Tucker was picked up in a trade with the Houston Astros last offseason and was named an All-Star for the fourth time this year. But his struggles have reached a breaking point, and the former Silver Slugger clearly isn't himself.
This certainly is bad timing for him, as he is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. This could hurt his value and cost him the type of contract he may be seeking. But if he doesn't get going soon, then the Cubs are going to be in trouble. They won't catch the Brewers at this point, but they need to hold onto the top NL Wild Card spot in order to have a clear shot to make a run.