MINNEAPOLIS – Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker made an early departure from Monday night’s series opener against the Twins, exiting the contest in the top of the second inning with lower back spasms.
Tucker’s night concluded shortly after he drew a walk from Twins starter Zebby Matthews and advanced to second base on a Tommy Edman single. The Dodgers immediately substituted Tucker on the basepaths, bringing in pinch-runner Alex Call, who stayed in to play right field.
The abrupt exit comes after a difficult season in Los Angeles for Tucker so far. Entering Monday's contest, he was batting .234 with six home runs and 40 RBIs through 74 games. He signed a four-year, $240 million contract in the offseason.
Before the game, manager Dave Roberts addressed the nature of Tucker’s performance, evaluating both the mechanical and psychological adjustments the 29-year-old has been navigating at the halfway point of the year.
"No player wants to not perform up to their capabilities," Roberts said pregame. "For me, it's just wanting him to get back to being who he is as a hitter. And who he is as a hitter is a guy that really controls the strike zone. His swing rate has been much higher, his chase rate much higher. If we can get him back to being who he is, then we'll bet on the results."
Roberts noted that Tucker’s early-season tendency to foul off pitches he normally drives had led to him pressing early in counts. He compared Tucker's struggles with those of elite hitters like Mookie Betts, who care deeply about their production.
"Part of guys like that, the curse is the humility," Roberts explained. "Because when they are struggling, there's not an ego. ... But in reality, your reality has to be that the name on the back of your jersey still has to move something – your track record. That's where that confidence can't waver."