Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker hasn’t performed in a giant league sport since fouling a ball off his leg on June 3. The membership positioned him on the 10-day injured checklist shortly thereafter, itemizing his damage with no consideration shin contusion, and it appeared like a brief absence was attainable. However weeks step by step became months with out a lot progress being made in direction of a return and now Chandler Rome of The Athletic experiences that Tucker suffered a fractured shin, despite the fact that it was by no means framed that method to reporters.
As famous by Rome, the membership has described the damage utilizing phrases reminiscent of a “deep bruise of the bone” or a “shin contusion” however by no means used the phrase “fracture”. As lately as Saturday, normal supervisor Dana Brown responded within the adverse when requested if Tucker had a fracture, although he appeared to cop to it in the present day.
“After a number of rounds of medical imaging, we suspect there was some kind of small fracture,” Brown mentioned this morning. “As with all accidents of this sort, as soon as the fracture heals it takes time for the muscle groups across the leg to regain energy. Tuck has labored extraordinarily exhausting to get again on the sector and fortunately is prepared now to assist us in September and within the postseason.”
The information not less than offers some readability on why Tucker’s absence has prolonged for so long as it has, nevertheless it does elevate different questions. If it took the membership three months to search out the fracture, what took so lengthy? In the event that they knew all alongside, why maintain it a secret? Members of the media have usually expressed frustration a couple of lack of expertise coming from the membership about its injured gamers. When Dusty Baker was nonetheless the supervisor, he would usually cite HIPAA legal guidelines as a motive for not offering well being updates (X hyperlinks from Rome), even supposing different golf equipment often present such data. Rome has additionally relayed (X hyperlink) that the membership doesn’t make its coach obtainable to the media and says it’s in opposition to the collective bargaining settlement, which isn’t true. He’s additionally relayed that the coach has, prior to now, discouraged gamers from chatting with the media about their accidents (X hyperlink). It appears this Tucker incident may maybe be the most recent and most excessive instance of an odd organizational sample.
Regardless, Tucker is now nearing a return. Pet Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle on X, supervisor Joe Espada mentioned that Tucker is now working the bases at about 85% depth and will rejoin the membership quickly.
Tucker was having an unimaginable season earlier than the damage, hitting .266/.395/.584 for a 175 wRC+ via 60 video games, regardless of a subpar .245 batting common on balls in play. Because the landed on the IL, the Astros have given proper subject taking part in time to every of Chas McCormick, Ben Gamel, Jason Heyward, Mauricio Dubón, Trey Cabbage, Pedro León and Joey Loperfido earlier than he was traded to the Blue Jays. Gamel is the one one in that group to have produced above-average offense this 12 months and his output is propped up by a .410 BABIP in his 70 plate appearances, so getting Tucker again will clearly be a lift to the Astros.
