Outfielder Kyle Tucker was not in the Chicago Cubs’ lineup for Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers as the club looks to give the 2025 National League All-Star a mental “reset” amid second-half struggles.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell revealed the plan Monday between games of a scheduled doubleheader and said Tucker was not going to play in the second game, which was ultimately postponed to Tuesday because of inclement weather.
“We’re going to have to take a little step back here, for sure, and just give him some days off to reset,” Counsell told reporters Monday. “We’re not coming up with solutions for him, and he’s not coming up with solutions. So sometimes you have to take some steps back to go forward again.”
There were no indications on how many games Tucker would be held out of the lineup.
Cubs fans showered Tucker with boos as he continued to struggle Monday.
“The fans are frustrated and Kyle’s frustrated,” Counsell said. “It’s unfortunate, because when you make outs, it doesn’t look great. But he’s trying. It’s just not clicking.”
In a 7-0 loss to the Brewers on Monday, Tucker was 0-for-4 to make him 2-for-25 (.080) over his past seven games. After taking a .280 batting average, with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs over 95 games into the All-Star break, Tucker is batting .182 with one home run and six RBIs in 26 games since.
Tucker was acquired by the Cubs in December in a trade from the Houston Astros and made an immediate impact while leading the Cubs to a 54-36 record on July 6 and a four-game lead in the National League Central.
The Cubs entered Tuesday with a 70-54 record and were nine games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the division as the offense slumped even as the pitching staff continued to deliver. The Cubs are still in line for one of three NL wild-card spots.
Instead of Tucker in right field for Game 1 on Tuesday, Owen Caissie was played there and batting sixth. Caissie, who made his major league debut Thursday, entered 1of-8 in three career games, collecting his first career hit Monday. He added a two-run single in his first at-bat Tuesday. It was the first time in nine games the Chicago had scored in the first inning.
Tucker, the Cubs’ regular No. 2 hitter in the lineup, was replaced in that spot by Ian Happ, and Happ doubled in his first at-bat out of the two hole Tuesday.
Tucker, 28, is a four-time All-Star, 2022 Gold Glove and 2023 Silver Slugger Award winner who is a career .272 hitter with 143 home runs and 479 RBIs in 754 games for the Houston Astros (2018-24) and Cubs.
–Field Level Media
