Chicago Cubs All-Star Kyle Tucker left Tuesday’s game against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning due to calf tightness.
It’s not clear when or how Tucker sustained the injury. He met with a trainer in the Cubs’ dugout after hitting a single in the bottom of the fifth inning. He returned to his spot in right field for the top of the sixth but was replaced in the field by Willi Castro in the seventh.
The Cubs later announced that Tucker was dealing with left calf tightness.
[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]
Tucker is key to Chicago’s playoff hopes
The severity of Tucker’s injury wasn’t immediately clear.
Tucker told reporters after the game that he’d been feeling soreness in his calf for a couple of days. Given the risk of further injury that comes with calf soreness, Tucker opted not to test the injury any more after it progressed during the game.
“It kind of felt like a little soreness the last couple of days, or whatever,” Tucker said. … “I tried to do some treatment so I could get ahead of it earlier, before the game.
“Going into the game, it felt all right. And then, just kind of, as the game went, it just got a little more sore, or tight. Eventually I was just like I’d rather not try and test this much further and make it any more than it really is.
Tucker made his fourth consecutive All-Star Game in July, his first with the Cubs after three straight appearances with the Houston Astros from 2022 to ’24. His production at the plate has taken a slight dip in his first year in Chicago, but he remains one of of baseball’s most dangerous weapons.
Tucker boasted a .267/.380/.465 slash line with 21 home runs, 25 stolen bases and 70 RBI in 132 games prior to Tuesday. He went 2-for-3 against the Braves with a home run and 3 RBI before his exit in Chicago’s 4-3 win.
The Cubs are looking to secure their spot in the postseason. They remain five games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central but have a commanding lead for the top wild-card spot in the National League.
As of the conclusion of Tuesday’s game, the Cubs held a 3.5-game lead over the San Diego Padres for the No. 1 wild-card spot and a 10-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds, who would be the first team out of the playoffs if the postseason started Tuesday.
Tucker’s health is key to Chicago maintaining playoff positioning and its hopes of advancing in the postseason.
Read the full article here