Even amidst a Los Angeles Dodgers victory, outfielder Kyle Tucker's difficult debut season with the team reached a new nadir on Monday night. During the Dodgers' 11-5 win over the Colorado Rockies, former Dodgers slugger and current SportsNet LA television analyst Eric Karros suggested that Tucker might benefit from a "reset."
"I honestly think the best thing right now is a reset," Karros said during the ninth inning, following Tucker's 0-for-5 performance. "You’ve got a month and a half [until the playoffs], and you’ve tried things here, and like I said –– I think you need a reset. I think you need to go to Arizona and start working on some things, change some things … This is just not ideal, and it’s not working."
Tucker's struggles have been evident since he signed a $240 million contract in the offseason. His hitting, particularly at home, has been historically poor, and his defense ranks among the worst for regular Major League Baseball right fielders. The outfielder has also faced boos from the home crowd on multiple occasions.
On Monday, Tucker extended a career-long hitless streak to 25 at-bats over his last seven games. This slump has seen him grounded out against position-player pitcher Troy Johnston and, in the seventh inning, flat-out drop a routine fly ball near the foul line after hesitating.
"Certainly, the play out in right field, there’s indecision," manager Dave Roberts commented on the dropped ball. "Catching a baseball at your ankles kind of speaks to where his head is at right now."
Roberts acknowledged Tucker's difficulties, stating, "It’s not from lack of effort, or care. It’s just kind of right now, I think he’s kind of fighting."
Tucker himself expressed frustration, saying before Monday's game, "I feel like I’ve tried just about everything. And every time I feel like I’m turning a corner, I get hit with a roadblock."
Despite the challenges, Tucker attempted to maintain a positive outlook. "You just got to keep going, try and at least pick out the positives, and just try and ride with that," he said. "Just keep on moving to the next day and hope for something to build on."
However, time is dwindling to turn his season around. The four-time All-Star is batting a career- and team-worst .230 with a below-league-average .692 OPS. Defensively, he has accumulated negative-eight defensive runs saved and negative-seven outs above average, both ranking last among qualified right fielders this season.
"We gotta keep supporting him," Roberts added. "That’s what we gotta do. We gotta keep supporting him."
While Karros' suggestion of a trip to Arizona for a "reset" is unlikely to be formally implemented by the Dodgers, it highlights the growing concern over Tucker's performance in his first year with the team.