(670 The Score) Cubs star right fielder Kyle Tucker is stuck in a prolonged slump, which has been a key factor in the club's mediocre play recently as Chicago has fallen eight games behind the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.
Tucker is hitting .160 with a .410 OPS and no extra-base hit in the 14 games he has played in August. He's 2-of-21 in his past six games.
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer believes Tucker’s struggles stem in part from a finger injury that he suffered on June 1 while sliding head-first into second base.
“He probably changed his mechanics a bit while fighting through it,” Hoyer said on the Mully & Haugh Show on Monday morning. “And I think that probably is a big part of it. I mean, he is a little bit different mechanically than he was at the beginning of the year, and that’s what he’s working hard to get back to.
“Clearly, he’s struggling, you can see it in his face, in his body language, how much he’s struggling. He’s such a natural hitter. For a guy like that to go through an extended stretch like this, I’m sure it’s one of the first times in his life he’s probably gone through this. It’s hard. Obviously, it’s a big year for him and he wants to help the team.
“He’s sort of exasperated right now. I understand it. I know he’ll get through it. He’s too good of a player not to. But it’s certainly hard to watch him struggle because I know how much he wants to be hitting and be helping the team.”
Tucker, 28, earned All-Star recognition this season. He’s hitting .263 with 18 home runs, 62 RBIs and an .828 OPS in 120 games this season.
The Cubs open a five-game series against the Brewers on Monday afternoon with the opener of a day-night doubleheader at Wrigley Field. Pregame coverage starts at 12:45 p.m. CT on 670 The Score, with first pitch set for 1:20 p.m.