Injured Astros Slugger Reveals His All-Star Game Plans

Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker revealed what he will be doing while Major League Baseball is at the All-Star Game.

May 26, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker (30) runs the bases after hitting a two run home run against the Oakland Athletics during the fourth inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. / Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker has had another All-Star worthy season, evidenced by his selection as a reserve for the American League for the third straight season.

Under normal circumstances, that would mean a hectic week. Travel on Sunday. Media on Monday. All-Star Game on Tuesday. Head back to Houston on Wednesday.

But this won’t be a normal All-Star Game for Tucker.

It’s been clear for several days that Tucker wouldn’t be able to play in the All-Star Game due to his right shin contusion.

Now, he’s not even going to the All-Star Game, even though it’s only a few hours away in Arlington, Texas. Tucker is opting to remain in Houston during the four-day All-Star break and continue trying to return from his injury, which has proven stubborn to recover since he suffered it last month.

Tucker said to reporters that he “can’t do everything normally right now, but every day it’s getting a little better where I can start moving around better.”

He had initial imaging on his shin after he suffered the injury, which revealed no damage. He said he’s had more done during his rehab and nothing has changed.

“I’m happy with the stuff we’ve been doing, it’s just taking a while,” Tucker said.

Lately, Tucker’s rehab work has included baseball activities liked playing catch, hitting in the cage and non-baseball activities like running on a treadmill. But he hasn’t taken the big leap forward that he and manager Joe Espada were hoping he would just a couple of weeks ago.

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.

Tucker finished out of the top two in outfield voting for the starting lineup, as the New York Yankees’ Juan Soto and Cleveland’s Steven Kwan joined Yankees slugger Aaron Judge. But Tucker’s numbers for the first two months of the season were enough to merit selection as a reserve by his peers and MLB.

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.