Kyle Tucker took a swing and felt something grab in his lower back. That’s never a great feeling for any hitter, let alone a guy the Dodgers traded for over the winter to anchor the middle of their lineup.
The good news? Tucker doesn’t think it’s headed toward the injured list.
Speaking before Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins, Tucker told reporters he’s “pretty confident” he can dodge an IL stint. According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, the outfielder said he’s feeling better than he did Monday, though he can still feel something when he tries to rotate. He did not undergo any imaging, which typically suggests the team isn’t too worried about structural damage.
The injury is being described as back spasms. That’s a vague term in baseball, sometimes a day-to-day thing, sometimes something that lingers and steals a week or two. The Dodgers are being cautious, but they haven’t made any roster moves yet.
Tucker arrived in Los Angeles this offseason in a blockbuster trade from the Cubs, part of the front office’s push to reload after an early playoff exit last October. He’s hit .280 with an .850 OPS so far this spring, and the Dodgers need his right-handed power balanced against their lefty-heavy lineup. Losing him for any extended stretch would create a hole in right field and drop a productive bat out of the order — especially with Mookie Betts already shuffling between positions and the infield still sorting itself out.
The Dodgers are one of those teams that can absorb an injury better than most, but even they have limits. With Max Muncy already on the IL and Gavin Lux still finding his footing, the last thing they need is another everyday player sidelined.
For now, Tucker is day-to-day. The fact that he’s not getting scanned and still feels confident enough to say so publicly is a decent sign. But back stuff can be weird. It can clear up overnight or stick around for two weeks for no obvious reason.
We’ll know more when we see whether he’s in the lineup Wednesday or gets a few days off to let the spasms fully settle.
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