Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right shin contusion.
Tucker, who currently ranks second next to Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles with 19 home runs, was seen on crutches after the Astros’ 7-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.
The injury occurred when Tucker fouled a throw with his right leg during Monday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
“He’s just not developing as quickly as we thought and we just need an extra guy on the bench to help us out,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We don’t want to rush him. We want to make sure when he comes back, he’s completely healthy. We just want to bring a new body.”
Tucker’s IL stint is retroactive to Tuesday, meaning the earliest he can rejoin the team is June 14, when the Astros open a three-game home stretch 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 the Astros have faced 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 for the 2025 season.
