The Houston Astros have placed their star right fielder Kyle Tucker on the 10-day injured list with a shin contusion. Kyle Tucker was helped off the field in the third inning of Monday’s win over the Cardinals after fouling a ball off his shin. Tucker underwent X-rays, which did not reveal any fractures, and saw doctors again later for further evaluation.
The two-time All-Star was considered day-to-day with a right shin contusion and has been using crutches ever since. The Astros were hopeful that Tucker could avoid the injured list and return after a few days. But he needs more time leading the Astros to place Tucker on the 10-day injured list.
Astros Lose Another Star to Injured List
“He’s just not progressing as quickly as we thought and we just need an extra guy on the bench just to help us out,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We don’t want to rush him. We want to make sure when he gets back he’s fully healthy. We just want to bring a fresh body.”
His stint on the Astros’ injured list is retroactive to June 4th, meaning Tucker could rejoin the team on June 14th.
Astros Place Kyle Tucker On Injured List With Shin Contusion
The 27-year-old outfielder moved around the clubhouse on crutches following Friday’s 7-1 win over the Angels. Espada said Friday that Tucker was progressing slowly and “moving better.”
Kyle Tucker was a front-runner for this year’s American League MVP before his leg injury. He has been one of the Astros most consistent hitters since debuting in 2018. Tucker leads Houston in nearly every offensive category this season, and his 19 homers are tied for second in the majors. At the same time, his .974 OPS ranks fifth in the majors among qualified MLB hitters.
Houston has been no stranger to injuries this season, with nearly the entire rotation spending time on the injured list. Tucker is just the latest Astro to be placed on the injured list, but it seems Houston caught a break with his injury. On Wednesday, the Astros announced that right-handers Cristian Javier and José Urquidy would undergo season-ending elbow surgery.
Source: The Astros are calling up Joey Loperfido to replace Kyle Tucker, who landed on the IL earlier today. Tucker was on crutches after the game.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) June 8, 2024
The Astros have called up their No. 5 prospect Joey Loperfido to take Tucker’s place on the active roster. After making his big league debut in May, Loperfido posted an .817 OPS with a home run and five RBI in 39 at-bats. Outfielder Trey Cabbage was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday and has started in right field for back-to-back games.
Main Photo Credits: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
