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 harm with no consideration shin contusion, and it appeared like a brief absence was attainable. However weeks steadily changed into months with out a lot progress being made in direction of a return and now Chandler Rome of The Athletic reviews that Tucker suffered a fractured shin, though it was by no means framed that technique to reporters.
As famous by Rome, the membership has described the harm utilizing phrases comparable to a “deep bruise of the bone” or a “shin contusion” however by no means used the phrase “fracture”. As just lately as Saturday, normal supervisor Dana Brown responded within the unfavourable when requested if Tucker had a fracture, although he appeared to cop to it at the moment.
“After a number of rounds of medical imaging, we suspect there was some kind of small fracture,” Brown stated this morning. “As with all accidents of this kind, as soon as the fracture heals it takes time for the muscular tissues across the leg to regain power. Tuck has labored extraordinarily onerous 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, however 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 few ignorance coming from the membership about its injured gamers. When Dusty Baker was nonetheless the supervisor, he would usually cite HIPAA legal guidelines as a purpose for not offering well being updates (X hyperlinks from Rome), even though different golf equipment repeatedly present such info. Rome has additionally relayed (X hyperlink) that the membership doesn’t make its coach out there to the media and says it’s towards 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 might maybe be the newest 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 stated that Tucker is now operating the bases at about 85% depth and will rejoin the membership quickly.
Tucker was having an unimaginable season earlier than the harm, hitting .266/.395/.584 for a 175 wRC+ via 60 video games, despite a subpar .245 batting common on balls in play. Because the landed on the IL, the Astros have given proper area 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.
