The truly great teams win the games they are supposed to, and that is exactly what the Chicago Cubs (37-22) have been doing this season. They have not lost a series since May 11, gliding through a sea of sub-par .500 ballclubs on their way to the co-best record in the National League. Naturally, the North Side is brimming with enthusiasm, especially given how the last five years have transpired. However, that excitement is heavily tied to the health of Kyle Tucker.
The three-time All-Star, who arrived in Chicago via an offseason trade with the Houston Astros, jammed his right finger while attempting to steal second base in Sunday’s 7-3 win versus the Cincinnati Reds.
He eventually exited the game, raising some concern among a fan base that has already seen Justin Steele suffer a season-ending elbow injury and fellow starting pitcher Shota Imanaga miss the last month with a hamstring strain.
Fortunately, Tucker’s situation seems much more promising. “I think he’s going to be OK,” longtime analyst Bruce Levine told 670 The Score on Monday. “They took X-rays as you said. He’s OK, but he really got beat up this weekend… This is one tough baseball player.”
Levine reinforces the encouraging update that Cubs manager Craig Counsell provided after the game. Tucker is considered day-to-day as of now, which should elicit a big sigh of relief from the Wrigley faithful.
Kyle Tucker has helped the Cubs explode back into prominence
Chicago boasts a top-notch lineup and is far from being a one-man show, with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki enjoying particularly exceptional campaigns thus far, but the 28-year-old right fielder is indispensable. Through 59 games, he is batting .284 with 12 home runs, a .394 on-base percentage, .524 slugging percentage and .918 OPS. A healthy Kyle Tucker has boosted the Cubs’ ceiling to heights they had not yet experienced in the 2020s.
Fans are desperate to see this man in the batter’s box, and not just in 2025. The World Series champion is set to enter free agency after this season, where he is expected to sign a monster contract somewhere in the range of $500-600 million.
Considering the undeniable impact he has had on the Cubs to this point, management is under enormous pressure to make a long-term commitment to Tucker.