Cubs Offer Uneasy Update on Kyle Tucker’s Calf Injury

Kyle Tucker hasn’t played a game in over two weeks due to a calf issue and was eligible to be activated on Tuesday, but he has remained on the IL. Craig Counsell had previously indicated that Tucker would not have a minimum stay, and his update on Wednesday sounded even more ominous.

“We’re aligned with Kyle and this is the best way for him to make some improvements,” Counsell told reporters before the series finale in Pittsburgh. “Unfortunately, we plateaued, and we weren’t making progress. That’s frustrating for Kyle, and that’s the concern about getting him back soon.”

Tucker has been able to hit and throw, but running continues to present problems. With no real progress being made, the Cubs are taking the unusual step of sending Tucker and a member of the team’s medical staff to Tampa, FL to work with a physical trainer Tucker has used in the past. More specifically, Jeremy Maddox is the PT who helped Tucker to recover from the shin injury that limited him to just 78 games last year with the Astros.

A hand injury hindered his production throughout July and August, but a few days on the bench seemed to have righted the ship. This calf injury has quickly derailed those positive developments, and now the Cubs only have 11 games left before the postseason. While they don’t want to rush their best player back, having him miss the rest of the regular season would be less than ideal.