Kyle Tucker’s slump has gone past the point where a single timely hit changes the conversation. The Dodgers keep waiting for the big swing that signals a breakthrough, but the evidence just isn’t there yet.
August was Tucker’s worst month as a major leaguer, at least among stretches of 12 games or more. He hit .195/.293/.310, good for a .603 OPS, and that rough patch has pushed him into a swing change that still hasn’t taken hold.
Tucker’s natural move includes an arm bar, where the lead arm straightens and the barrel drops behind his body. It’s not the prettiest look, but it has worked for him before, and other successful hitters have used similar mechanics, including Derek Jeter and, slightly, Ted Williams. Lately, though, Tucker has been loading with his hands closer to his head and the bat cocked instead of laying the bat behind him, in a style closer to Max Muncy.
The problem is that the adjustment has made things worse, not better. With the old move, the barrel got into the hitting zone earlier, giving Tucker more room to react.
Now the barrel is arriving later, moving through the zone faster and shrinking the window for adjustment. That shorter, steeper path has left him more exposed to changes in speed.
That weakness is showing up everywhere. Tucker is being beaten by both high-end velocity and off-speed pitches, and his season profile by pitch type fits the mold of a classic “slider bat speed” hitter.
Even more troubling, his usual ability to drive the ball the other way has disappeared. Tucker is primarily a pull, fly ball hitter, but he no longer looks like someone who can stay on pitches long enough to send them to the opposite field with authority. His extra-base opposite-field power has fallen off almost completely over the last three seasons.
And this isn’t just an offensive problem. Tucker’s baserunning and defense have slipped too, which makes the whole package even harder to ignore.
A platoon split doesn’t offer much help here, either. He has actually hit lefties better than righties, .250 to .219, so the issue is less about matchups than overall production.
The more obvious move would be to drop him lower in the order, since he has started only 13 games below the sixth spot this year.
Right now, the Dodgers are dealing with a .228 hitter who is trying to remake his swing in the middle of the season and who ranks last among 123 outfielders in outs above average.
Edwin Díaz brings his own set of problems. Even after he comes off the injured list, he should not be assumed to slide right into the Dodgers’ closer role. His season has been interrupted by injury, but it has also been complicated by mechanical issues that need fixing.
His release point and arm angle have both been trending downward, and that lower slot has taken a toll on his slider. Díaz has long relied on a chase slider that looks like a strike before it dives toward his arm side and out of the zone. This year, though, he’s throwing too many sliders that never really threaten hitters at all.
That matters because a two-pitch reliever is only as strong as the second pitch. If hitters can eliminate one offering, the math gets ugly fast. Díaz’s fastball is being hit hard, with opponents batting .333 and slugging .778 against it, and the reasons are stacking up: his velocity is down a tick, his arm angle is lower, and the slider isn’t sharp enough to keep hitters honest.
In Other News...
Dodgers Shut Down An Unlikely October Hero With Bigger Questions Ahead
Will Kleins improbable rise out of the Dodgers bullpen has run into a tough pause at the worst possible time. The right-hander was shifted to the 60-day injured list because of right elbow discomfort, a move that closes the book on his regular season and forces the club to shuffle its relief corps heading into the final stretch.
Blake Treinen was activated to take Kleins spot, giving the Dodgers another familiar late-inning arm as they sort through October planning. The bigger question now is whether Klein will be available for the postseason at all, and for a team that has leaned on unexpected contributors before, his health suddenly matters just as much as his emergence did. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Have A Pitching Question They Can't Ignore
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The more concerning development came after the game, when Dave Roberts said one Dodgers pitcher has hit a setback in his recovery and is currently shut down because of arm fatigue. For a team that keeps trying to patch together innings on the fly, it is the kind of update that can change the conversation quickly, especially with October in view and the margin for more pitching trouble growing thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Left A Rising Outfielder Waiting For One Frustrating Reason
The Dodgers used their roster expansion to bring up catcher Dalton Rushing and infielder Alex Freeland, but the move also left outfielder James Tibbs in Triple-A for now. Tibbs had been in the conversation for a call-up after turning in a strong run at the top minor-league level, yet the club chose the more straightforward path by leaning on players already on the 40-man roster and keeping its options open.
For a prospect with Tibbs profile, the delay is more frustrating than alarming. He remains one of the organizations more intriguing young outfielders and is still viewed as a player who should get to the majors in the next couple of years, but this first opening never materialized. For now, the Dodgers are prioritizing flexibility over a longer look at a bat that had at least put itself firmly in the discussion. [Read more 🡒]