Can you believe it? Kyle Tucker, the $60 million outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, got flat-out benched for the season finale on Thursday, August 27th, against the Atlanta Braves. This wasn’t just some random game; it’s the finale, and your big money guy is watching from the dugout. It felt like the culmination of a brutal, season-long slump.
The Nightmare Numbers Are Real
Roberts wanted to give the team a spark by shaking up the order, especially against a lefty starter. But this wasn’t just about matchups. Tucker’s been doing *everything* to snap out of it: changing his pregame routine, putting in extra work with batting practice. Nothing’s clicked. Dave Roberts even admitted he “didn’t want to feel like I’m piling on against a really tough starter.” Alex Call stepped in, but it didn’t change anything; the entire Dodgers squad got shut out by ace Chris Sale, and Tucker only made a brief pinch-running cameo.
His numbers are brutal. Over his last 15 games, he’s barely hitting above the Mendoza line with a .113/.190/.132 slash line, three RBIs, five walks, and nine strikeouts. Zoom out to the last seven or even 30 games, and the average only bumps to a measly .200. That’s so far from expected! He’s also got reverse splits this year, hitting better against left-handed pitching, and has been notably worse at home than on the road. It’s truly been a nightmare regular season.
A Postseason Promise Nobody Saw Coming
Here’s the kicker: even after benching him, Dave Roberts made a flat-out surprising promise about Tucker’s postseason role. The same guy who couldn’t start the finale, Roberts is banking on him. He said, clear as day, “I do think that our best version of our ball club verus right, veruse left, is with Tucker in the lineup.” He even specifically called out Chris Sale, stating, “Chris Sale in the posteason, I would expect Kyle Tucker to be in the lineup.” It’s a huge vote of confidence, or maybe just pure desperation. Roberts tried to paint the benching as getting Tucker “off his feet and some rest.” But come on, leaving a $60 million outfielder out of a big game tells you everything.
Despite all these struggles, the Dodgers are holding out hope. They believe in Tucker and are giving him all of September and October to snap out of this funk. The team needs him, bad. Will the $60 million man find his swing and prove Roberts’ surprising gamble right, or will this nightmare spill into October? Every at-bat from now on is under a microscope. Can he turn it around?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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