When Will Kyle Tucker Return and Be Back? Fantasy Baseball Injury Update

The Houston Astros are clicking on all cylinders right now, having won three in a row and 13 of their last 15 games, with Yordan Alvarez doing what he does best, Hunter Brown looking like the best pitcher on the planet right now, and the defense making incredible plays. (Well, until Saturday anyway when the Astros lost, Alvarez took a pitch off the knee and is considered day-to-day, and Brown came back down to earth in explosive fashion)

All of this has taken place without a mainstay in their outfield and their lineup, Kyle Tucker. Tucker fouled a ball off of his shin over a month ago and has been on the IL ever since.

So what is his status right now and when is he coming back? Should we expect the same player when he returns? Let's discuss.

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Kyle Tucker Injury Update for Fantasy Baseball

The way it looked when it happened and based on how others fared in similar situations, it seems lucky that Tucker didn't break anything. Still, there was hope when it happened that maybe he wouldn't need an IL stint, but here we are.

Kyle Tucker exited the game after fouling this ball off his shin pic.twitter.com/NZwplzezrv

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 4, 2024

As of Saturday, the 27-year-old was hitting off a tee, but he is not expected to rejoin the Astros until sometime after the All-Star break. Still, it's good to hear he's making progress as there seemed to be no update for a while. It's uncertain whether he'll need a rehab stint in the minors, but managers should expect at least a couple of games so he can get his timing back. So, let's hope for a late-July return.

Kyle Tucker Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Before hitting the IL, Tucker had gone a bit cold, hitting just .150 (6-for-40) over his previous 12 games. Make no mistake, the 2x All-Star had been on an MVP pace despite the slowdown. On the season, he had a .266-19-40-42-10 line with a .416 wOBA and a 174 wRC+ over 60 games before the injury. His xBA (.284) and BABIP (.245 vs. career .281) suggest he had even been a tad unlucky so far.

Kyle Tucker - Houston Astros (19)
pic.twitter.com/EXak4BaqrG

— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) June 1, 2024

The Astros and fantasy managers alike should expect Tucker to pick up where he left off as he's become one of the premier hitters in all of baseball, albeit without a ton of fanfare. Think Freddie Freeman of the American League. The guy used to wear no batting gloves, so we know he's got that old-school toughness in him, too. Looking at career numbers, the former first-round draft pick has been a better hitter in the second half as well, slashing .265/.349/.494 in the first half and .281/.353/.542 in the second half. Look for the left-handed slugger to finish strong and make another push for MVP when he returns.

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