(670 The Score) Cubs star right fielder Kyle Tucker returned to Chicago on Monday night as he continues to work back from a left calf injury that has sidelined him since early September.
Tucker had visited a physical therapy group in Tampa as his calf issue has struggled to heal in a timely fashion. He left the Cubs during their road trip last week. He had previously worked with this physical therapy group earlier in his MLB career.
Tucker has been hitting and also ran Monday, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said on the Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show on Tuesday. The Cubs have six regular-season games remaining before the playoffs start next Tuesday.
“The hope is that he progresses, and we can get him in the lineup for a few games here, get him some at-bats and get him going (before the playoffs),” Hoyer said. “That’s the hope.
“He’s moving in the right direction.”
Tucker left a game on Sept. 2 with the calf injury and later landed on the injured list. He’s hitting .270 with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs over 133 games this season.
The Cubs clinched a playoff berth last Wednesday. They own a 2.5-game lead over the Padres for the top National wild-card seed. Assuming the two teams stay there, the Cubs would the Padres in a best-of-three wild-card series at Wrigley Field.
Hoyer admitted that the circumstances with Tucker were unique with the regular season winding down.
“Given where we are, we’re kind of under the gun,” Hoyer said. “There’s a finite number of days left to get him healthy to get him back and ready for the postseason. Maybe if we’re in June, it would’ve been a different conversation, a different dynamic.”
The Cubs will open a three-game series against the Mets on Tuesday at Wrigley Field. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. CT. You can listen to the game on 670 The Score and the Audacy app.