The Chicago Cubs are desperate to get outfielder Kyle Tucker right at the plate, and are taking a major step with the struggling star.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said after the first game of Monday’s doubleheader that Tucker will effectively be benched for a while amid his struggles at the plate. Counsell said the team’s hope is that giving Tucker some time off will hopefully “reset” him.
Craig Counsell on Kyle Tucker getting booed: “The fans are frustrated and Kyle is frustrated. When you make outs, it doesn’t look good. He’s trying. It's just not clicking. We’re going to have to take a step back here, just give him some days off to reset him, hopefully.”
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) August 18, 2025
The Cubs parted with a huge haul during the offseason to bring Tucker in from the Houston Astros. The move paid off initially, but the four-time All-Star has been trapped in a huge slump since the start of July. Entering play Monday, he was hitting just .195 with one home run in his last 37 games. He showed no sign of turning things around during the first game of Monday’s doubleheader, as he went 0-for-4 in a 7-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
The last straw for many Cubs fans came Sunday, when Tucker failed to run out a ground ball and got heavily booed by the Wrigley Field faithful.
Tucker put up superstar numbers in each of his last two seasons with Houston, so he is capable of much better. The fact that he is struggling so badly in a contract year is bad for him and for the Cubs, who went all-in on him for 2025 despite having no guarantee they will be able to keep him long-term.
