Kyle Tucker's contract situation with Dodgers just went from bad to worse

As if Kyle Tucker's contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers wasn't already looking like an albatross, it took a turn for the worse on Monday. During the game against the Minnesota Twins, Tucker was pulled during the second inning with an apparent injury.

To illustrate just how bad Tucker has been with the Dodgers, after he was removed from the game, the first assumption was that it was due to his offensive struggles. Tucker is on pace for career lows in just about every offensive category this season, and is slashing .167/.286/.167 in his last 21 plate appearances.

The thought was, the Dodgers were simply calling it an early night for Tucker. Considering he was initially spotted talking with the team's hitting coaches in the dugout, this was a fair assumption. However, shortly after he was pulled, the Dodgers confirmed Tucker was pulled due to back spasms.

Dodgers learning what Astros, Cubs already knew with Kyle Tucker's latest injury

The optics surrounding Tucker's contract certainly don't look good for the Dodgers. LA will never cry poor but with recent "proposals" suggesting that there could be a salary cap with he next CBA, having Tucker's contract on the books certainly is not an ideal outcome for the next few years. Especially when Tucker's contract was the final confirmation that baseball may be headed toward a work stoppage after this season.

The Dodgers were due for an offseason mistake, and it's certainly looking like Tucker will be plagued with that reputation through the rest of this season, at the very least. The problem is this one could have easily been avoided had the Dodgers read the room with what has been happening with Tucker since last July.

Tucker suffered a prolonged offensive slump with the Chicago Cubs last season that was accentuated by two injuries. Tucker suffered a fractured finger in June that he attempted to play through, and it altered his swing. He also suffered a calf injury in September. With the Houston Astros in 2024, the end of Tucker's tenure was defined by curious management over a shin injury.

No one will truly know what's going on inside Tucker's head, but he very much appears to broken. It was the same impression lurking in the background of his free agency last winter, and the Dodgers ignored it.

While the perceived out was the idea that would likely opt out of his deal after the 2027, it's hard to imagine that being the case now. The Dodgers could be stuck with bad money through the 2029 worse, and even worse, there may now be a back issue to add to the nightmare that is Tucker's awful start with the Dodgers.

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