Angels' Recently-Added Minor Leaguer Homers Off Max Scherzer in Triple-A

Maren Angus-Coombs | Apr 26, 2024

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The Salt Lake Bees dropped their first game in Round Rock against the Express on Tuesday, falling 8-5 in a late-inning heartbreaker but recently-added minor leaguer Cole Tucker made a huge impact.

Tucker, who signed a minor league contract with the Angels on April 12, homered off Texas Rangers starter Max Scherzer who was making his first rehab appearance.

The former first-round pick finished the game 2-for-3 with one run batted in and three runs scored. In eight games since joining the Bees, he has an outstanding .908 OPS, with seven hits, seven walks, seven runs scored and a stolen base.

Tucker has played in parts of five seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies. He was selected No. 24 overall in the 2014 MLB Draft. He is a career .216 hitter and has hit five home runs, six triples, 18 doubles, and has driven in 37 runs in his major league career.

The 27-year-old signed a minor league deal with Seattle in January and was in spring training with the Mariners. He went 2-for-10 in 11 Cactus League games with four walks, three strikeouts, and two runs scored. He was released in mid-March.

Tucker has never panned out at the major league level. He made his big league debut with the Pirates in 2019 and hit .211/.266/.361 in 56 games during that season. That remains his career high for games played in the majors; he spent four years going between Pittsburgh and Triple-A Indianapolis.

Tucker had the same luck with the Rockies, being shuttled to and from the big leagues and Triple-A. With a fresh start in the Angels' organization, opening the season on a decent streak, Tucker might find himself trying to compete in the majors once again.