Houston Astros Manager Reveals What Must Happen Next For Injured All-Star

The Houston Astros are still hopeful that they’ll be able to get their All-Star right fielder back in the lineup this season.

Jun 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) reacts after hitting a home run against the Minnesota Twins during the third inning at Minute Maid Park. / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

The saga of Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker continued on Friday, as manager Joe Espada told reporters what had to happen next for Tucker to take the next step in his recovery from a right shin contusion.

Espada spoke to reporters before Friday’s game with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The first-year manager said that while Tucker is running, they need to see more from him before they can put a timetable on his return, which would include a rehab assignment.

“We need to get him running,” Espada said to several outlets, including The Athletic. “The light jog we’re seeing is a step in the right direction, but we want him to be pushing himself, cutting, doing all the outfield drills at max effort for us to put a timetable on when we can get him back.”

So, that’s clear. Certainly clearer than the update that general manager Dana Brown provided to Sports Talk 790-AM in Houston last month.

"I'd be really disappointed if it was September but we're optimistic that it'll be before September,” Brown said at the time.

With approximately 20 days left in August, Tucker’s return before the end of August could be a tall order.

The right fielder’s injury, to be sure, has been stubborn.

Tucker suffered the injury on June 3 when he fouled a baseball off the shin. At the time, the Astros were hopeful Tucker wouldn’t even have to go on the injured list. But a few days later he needed crutches to help keep weight off the injury and Houston put him on the 10-day IL.

He was still named an All-Star for the third straight year but didn’t travel to the game, which was at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, in an effort to continue his injury rehab. Recent imaging of the shin revealed no damage.

He’s done the usual baseball activities, including playing catch, hitting in the cage and non-baseball activities like running on a treadmill.

But, in Espada’s mind, the ability to cut and run harder than simply a job might be the trigger to get Tucker closer to a rehab assignment.

When the 27-year-old right fielder went on the IL he was slashing .266/.395/.584/.979 with 19 home runs and 40 RBI. At the time his .979 OPS was fourth in the Majors behind Judge, Soto and Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna. He was second in the AL with 46 walks and third with a .584 slugging percentage. He also had more walks than strikeouts (41) at the plate.

Tucker was tracking as a sure-fire AL Most Valuable Player before the injury. The Astros’ first-round pick out of Tampa, Fla., in 2015 has been in the Top 20 of MVP voting each of the past three seasons, including fifth place last year.