Kyle Tucker Is Doing Something He’s Never Done Before to Fix His Slump

The Los Angeles Dodgers paid Kyle Tucker $240 million to be the guy who makes their lineup even scarier. So far, that hasn’t really worked out.

Tucker is hitting .248 through his first 87 games with the Dodgers. Seven home runs, 45 RBIs, six steals. Those aren’t bad numbers for a lot of guys. But for a four-time All-Star who posted an .800-plus OPS every full season since 2021? They’re a problem. And he knows it.

According to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, Tucker has been doing something he never once did across his entire major league career before this year: taking postgame batting practice. Not just a few swings either. Gonzalez reports that teammates have showered, dressed, some have already left the ballpark, and Tucker is still out there in his game pants taking front toss, searching for a swing that keeps disappearing on him.

“I normally don’t hit .220 for 80 games,” Tucker said last week. That about sums it up.

The late-night cage sessions

Postgame BP is rare in the big leagues. Most guys get their work in before the game, then go home. But Tucker has been showing up for extra work after the lights go out, trying to find whatever it is he’s lost at the plate. His underlying numbers tell a mixed story. His hard-hit rate is still solid but his chase rate has crept up and he’s been pulling the ball less with authority. The power hasn’t been there consistently.

The good news? He’s starting to figure some things out. Over his last 12 games, Tucker is hitting .341 with a home run and five RBIs. That’s a small sample but it’s also the kind of stretch the Dodgers have been waiting for since Opening Day.

Even with Tucker scuffling, the Dodgers have the best record in baseball. They’re 60-33 and sitting on a 14-game lead in the NL West. That’s absurd. They’re winning despite their $240 million outfielder not yet playing like one. Imagine what happens if he does.

Tucker is a career .270 hitter with 154 homers and 535 RBIs over nine seasons. He won a World Series with the Astros. He’s been an All-Star four times. He’s only 28. The track record says he’ll get right. It’s just taking longer than anyone in Los Angeles expected. Including him.