Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker addressed the media after an injury scare during his team’s Monday matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cardinals took an early 3-0 lead over the Astros at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.
Tucker came up to the plate with two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the 3rd inning. On a 2-0 count, Tucker violently fouled an inside pitch off his leg. The 2-time All-Star immediately crumpled to the ground in pain and grabbed his right shin.
Kyle Tucker exited the game after fouling this ball off his shin pic.twitter.com/NZwplzezrv
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 4, 2024
Tucker stayed down for several minutes as manager Joe Espada and a trainer came to his aid. Tucker was eventually replaced by Mauricio Dubon.
The Astros were able to rally for a 7-3 win without Tucker.
After the game, Tucker said X-rays confirmed that his shin remained structurally intact. He added that he’ll likely undergo further testing on Tuesday.
“We did some X-rays and nothing was broken or anything,” said Tucker. “I’m sure we’ll do some more stuff tomorrow and whatnot. Right now it’s just kind of hurting. But it’s all right, we’ll get through it.”
Kyle Tucker: "We did some X-rays and nothing was broken or anything. I’m sure we’ll do some more stuff tomorrow and whatnot. Right now it’s just kind of hurting. But it’s all right, we’ll get through it."
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) June 4, 2024
Tucker has been the Astros’ best hitter by a wide margin this season. The 27-year-old has slashed .266/.395/.584 with 40 RBIs and 19 home runs across 60 games. Tucker trails just New York Yankees juggernaut Aaron Judge for the most home runs in the majors.
