Kyle Tucker heads to IL with right shin contusion as Astros' injuries pile up
Cristian Javier and José Urquidy both underwent Tommy John surgery this week.
Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right shin contusion.
Tucker, who is currently tied for second in MLB with Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles with 19 home runs, was seen on crutches following the Astros' 7-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.
The injury occurred when Tucker fouled a pitch off his right leg during Monday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Kyle Tucker exited the game after fouling this ball off his shin pic.twitter.com/NZwplzezrv
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 4, 2024
"He’s just not progressing as quickly as we thought and we just need an extra guy on the bench just to help us out,” said Astros manager Joe Espada. “We don’t want to rush him. We want to make sure when he gets back he’s fully healthy. We just want to bring a fresh body.”
Tucker's IL stint is retroactive to Tuesday, meaning the earliest he could rejoin the team is June 14 when the Astros begin a three-game homestand against the Detroit Tigers.
At the time of Tucker's IL placement, he was fourth in MLB in OPS (.979), second in walks (46) and third in slugging percentage (.584).
Tucker's injury only adds to the woes that have hit the Astros this season. Starting pitchers Cristian Javier and José Urquidy underwent Tommy John surgery this week and will miss the remainder of the season.
Both are expected to return during the 2025 season.
