The Dodgers put out their lineup for Friday night’s game against the Padres in San Diego, and there it was: Kyle Tucker, hitting sixth. After missing two full games with a back issue, the 29-year-old is back in the mix.
It’s not nothing. Tucker has been having a weird season — .234 average, six homers, 40 RBIs in 75 games — and the Dodgers have been desperate for him to find some rhythm. The lineup card Friday shows Shohei Ohtani leading off, Roki Sasaki on the mound, and Tucker slotted in the six-hole. It’s a reminder of how much depth this team has, even when one of its stars is scuffling.
Tucker initially said he was “pretty confident” he wouldn’t need a trip to the injured list. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts echoed that sentiment but was careful not to get ahead of himself. “I think that the four days, with the off-day, would be a middle route,” Roberts said Tuesday via MLB.com. “And so hopefully he has taken advantage of this, obviously to get right, but also kind of a mental reset. Hopefully, the four days will suffice.”
By Friday, Roberts was more definitive. “He said he’s good to go,” Roberts said. “So that doesn’t carry too much weight until I hear from the medical staff. But it is good to know that he said he’s good to go. My hope is that he’ll be available off the bench in some capacity [today].”
Tucker missed two games — Wednesday and Thursday — and the Dodgers managed fine without him. But there’s no replacing what he can do when he’s locked in. A .234 average with 40 RBIs isn’t terrible, but it’s not what anyone expected when L.A. picked him up. The back issue just added another layer of frustration to a season that’s felt underwhelming for a guy who’s been an All-Star caliber player for years.
The Padres are a good test. A divisional game in San Diego, on the road, with the crowd buzzing. Tucker’s back. The lineup is whole again. Now he just has to start hitting like himself.
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