Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker has been out since Sept. 2 with a calf injury.
That was too bad, because after a long rough stretch, Tucker had batted .400/.489/.800 (16-for-40) with four home runs in the 11
games right before the injury sidelined him.
Manager Craig Counsell had said that while Tucker was not 100 percent, that the team wanted him to get some game action before the postseason:
“We were on the same page with that,” Counsell said of his conversation with Tucker as he went through his work Wednesday. “I don’t think the symptoms are going to be gone, but I think he’s in a place where he agrees, and we’ve got to go. We’ve got to see what it feels like to play.”
Counsell said he’ll encourage Tucker to avoid going all out when game situations don’t require him to, keeping his running at 80% to 90% effort.
“Maybe the games can actually help him here and give him some confidence in a certain situation,” Counsell said.
Friday, the Cubs activated Tucker from the injured list. In a corresponding move. the team optioned Carlos Santana to their Arizona complex. (That’s a procedural move only, since the minor league season is over.)
I would expect Tucker to DH most of the time for the rest of the way, with Seiya Suzuki playing right field. Suzuki has done a capable job in the outfield in Tucker’s absence, and being the DH will reduce the amount of time Tucker would have to spend running.
It will be a good thing to have Tucker’s bat in the lineup for this weekend and the postseason.
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