CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs are off on Monday, and Kyle Tucker is hoping that will be enough rest for his jammed right ring finger.
Tucker got hurt on an awkward slide during Chicago's 7-3 victory over Cincinnati in the finale of their weekend series. He was replaced by Vidal Bruján in right field before the Reds batted in the fifth inning.
“I feel all right,” Tucker said. “Hand's a little jammed, or a little swollen. Obviously we got our off day tomorrow so hopefully it feels a little bit better when we get to Washington.”
Tucker also had a cut on his nose after he was caught stealing second in the first. It was the first time he had been thrown out in 17 steal attempts this season.
Tucker wasn't sure exactly what happened, but he said he thought his helmet hit his nose and his hand kind of got caught underneath him.
“It kind of felt weird. Was just hoping that it went away,” he said. “Try to kind of just grind through and grind through the at-bats and stuff. But it was kind of hurting. Just kind of took a precautionary route of just coming out of the game.”
The 28-year-old Tucker hit a ground-rule double in the third and scored on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s two-out single to right. He fouled out to the catcher for the final out of the fourth before Bruján came in.
Tucker said he had X-rays and they were fine. The NL Central-leading Cubs begin a nine-game road trip on Tuesday night at Washington.
“I'm optimistic this is going to be at most a day or two,” manager Craig Counsell said after Sunday's victory. “It's just a sprained finger. ... He took the second at-bat and just was a little uncomfortable. So with the lead, just got him out of there.”
Tucker has been a key player for Chicago in his first season with the team after he was acquired in a December trade with Houston. The three-time All-Star has a 16-game on-base streak going back to May 14.
He is batting .284 with 12 homers, 39 RBIs and 16 steals, playing in each of the team's first 59 games.
“He's gone out there a bunch. He's been out there every day,” Counsell said, “and he's shown no signs of any fatigue.”
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Jay Cohen, The Associated Press