The Los Angeles Dodgers have been patiently waiting for All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker to break out all season long.
Tucker has been a real problem for the Dodgers this season, with him putting together the worst year of his career. After signing his massive four-year, $240 million contract over the offseason, Tucker has been a main talking point in Los Angeles.
But the team has stood by him, making sure that he understands he feels the support from the clubhouse. Tucker has tried everything to break out of the year-long slump, but to this point, nothing has worked out well.
The veteran was able to hit his first home run at Dodger Stadium since June in the team’s win over the Washington Nationals on Friday. The Dodgers are hoping that this can spark something for Tucker, but that remains to be seen.
Kyle Tucker Warning Sent by Dodgers Coach
Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates spoke on Tucker, giving some more insight into his situation. Within, Bates did say that the team expects Tucker to finally get back on track this season.
“So I think for him, expectations are definitely real, he’s harder on himself than most people are on the outside, he’s just kind of internalized it…we’ve seen how good of a player he’s been for six years as far as his track record goes, so it’s of one of those things where you know he’ll get back to where he needs to get to,” Bates said.
Tucker has hit .226 with 12 home runs and 59 RBIs, while posting an OPS of .686 this season. His numbers have been underwhelming, but there is some hope for the future.
Can Kyle Tucker Finally Break Out?
For Tucker, having the support of the clubhouse likely means a lot. After all, he is new to the team this season, and there is a lot of pressure on him to produce.
While the year hasn’t gone his way, Tucker isn’t giving up. The veteran has seen real success in baseball over his career, and he has been trying to live up to the pressure.
“He’s going through the wringer, and he’s also trying to figure out what he did in previous years. We don’t have that database as far as the playbook in our head as what he has actually been through as far as stance adjustment. So I think there is a little bit of an overlap there where you’re trying to, when he gets off to a slower start, you are trying to catch him a little bit,” Bates said.
If Tucker can start to produce more consistently over the final weeks of the season, the Dodgers would be very happy. With the goal being another World Series title, Los Angeles is going to need its outfielder to finally show up.
Tucker has a chance to put all the season struggles behind him if he can come through when the lights are brightest. But whether he can produce at a high enough level remains to be seen at this time.
Dodgers Hitting Coach Sends Kyle Tucker Warning to MLB