PITTSBURGH — Kyle Tucker’s lingering calf strain has the Chicago Cubs right fielder seeking other treatment.
Tucker left Wednesday morning with a member of the Cubs medical staff to fly to Tampa, Fla., where he will work with the physical therapy group that helped him during his recovery from a shin injury last year and in the offseason.
The idea was Tucker’s, manager Craig Counsell said, because his left calf hasn’t been improving and he had success last season with the Houston Astros working through the shin fracture with physical therapist Jeremy Maddox of Optimal Performance and Physical Therapies.
Counsell added the Cubs are “aligned” with the 28-year-old on the plan to get “a new set of eyes” on the situation. Tucker will rejoin the Cubs for their homestand that begins Tuesday.
“This is the best way for him to make some improvements,” Counsell said. “Unfortunately, we plateaued and we weren’t making progress, and that’s frustrating for Kyle and that’s the concern about getting him back.”
Although his injury diagnosis remains the same, this is an unusual step and subsequently a worrying development for Tucker and the Cubs. Counsell previously expressed concern Tuesday because Tucker continues to be symptomatic when testing the calf by attempting to run.
After the news of Tucker’s departure Wednesday, Counsell said the Cubs still feel optimistic the slugger will return before the end of the season, which is on the verge of extending into October. The magic number for the Cubs to clinch a wild-card playoff berth is one entering Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The reality, though, is the calendar is working against Tucker. By the time he rejoins the team in Chicago, he would have at most six regular-season games left to get game reps and at-bats before the playoffs begin after missing roughly three weeks. Tucker hasn’t played since exiting midgame Sept. 2.
“The days are running out, and, look, it’s important that he plays in regular-season games because we’re talking about (being out) three weeks,” Counsell said. “So that’s why you’re kind of willing to go to this extra step here to try something. It’s important that he plays next week, and so we’re doing everything we can to make that happen.”
This isn’t the first injury saga Tucker has dealt with this year. A jammed right finger on a slide into second base June 1 later was revealed to involve a fracture in his right hand that he played through.
This latest twist to what could be Tucker’s lone season with the Cubs is part of an uneven year marked by All-Star offensive production in the first half and second-half struggles that eventually led Counsell to give him a couple of days off in August to reset.