Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker faced a vociferous reception from the Chicago crowd during his first game back at Wrigley Field since signing with the Dodgers in free agency. Boos rained down on Tucker before and during his at-bats, a stark contrast to the "Friendly Confines" moniker of the ballpark.
"I don’t know," Tucker said when asked about the hostility. "I tried my hardest last year. I tried playing through a hand fracture and calf thing, just trying to get back for the playoffs for them, trying to do what I could to help out the team."
Tucker's single season with the Cubs did not unfold as planned. Despite an All-Star first half, he struggled in the latter part of the season while managing injuries to his hand and calf. Although the Cubs reached the playoffs and advanced past the wild-card round, their elimination in the NLDS was considered a disappointment. Tucker's performance in that series, going 4-for-16 with one RBI, appeared to leave a negative impression on some fans before he signed a $240 million deal with the Dodgers in January.
"I mean, I liked playing here last year," Tucker commented. "There were some really great guys over there and they have a good team."
This was not the first instance of Tucker facing boos upon returning to a former team this season. During a May trip to Houston to play the Astros, the team he played with for his first seven MLB seasons before being traded to the Cubs, he was also booed. However, at that time, Tucker stated he did not focus on crowd noise.
On Monday, Tucker went 2-for-3 with a walk, ending a recent slump. Despite his performance, he continues to post career-lows in batting average (.240) and OPS (.710). His outing also included a baserunning mistake where he was thrown out at second base while attempting to stretch a hit into a double.
"They made a good play," Tucker said of the play at second base, explaining his decision to take a chance with the Dodgers trailing by three runs in the sixth inning. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, however, offered a more critical assessment, stating, "It just doesn’t look good when you’re down three."