The Los Angeles Dodgers splashed $240 million to ink Kyle Tucker last off-season. But the decision has yet to prove fruitful for them. Tucker is currently hitting .230 with just 11 homers. But the worst part was his 0-for-25 hitless streak, which even forced the Dodgers to bench him on Saturday against the Brewers. However, nothing changed, and Tucker went 0-for-5 with a dropped ball in the first game against the Rockies. And now, it looks like the star outfielder’s emotions are boiling over as he struggles to perform.
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“Kyle Tucker was seen crying in the Dodgers dugout as his struggles continue,” Punchoutpitch shared a clip of a teary-eyed Tucker in the Dodgers dugout.
AAV for Tucker stands at $60 million per year for the next four years. That makes him the second-highest-paid player in MLB, just after Shohei Ohtani ($70 million AAV). Hence, hitting .230 and currently on a 0-for-25 streak is inviting a lot of scrutiny from across the MLB community. This, added to the fans booing Tucker during the series opener against the Rockies, may have made him emotional. He appeared to wipe away a tear while the camera was focused on him sitting alone.
“He’s frustrated,” manager Dave Roberts said on SportsNet LA after the Dodgers’ first game against the Rockies. “Certainly, the play out in right field, there’s indecision. Catching a baseball at your ankles kind of speaks to where his head is at right now. It’s not from lack of effort or care. It’s just that right now he’s fighting it. We’ve got to keep supporting him.”
Adding to his batting struggle, Tucker was snapped from an All-Star selection for the first time in the last four years. His defensive misplays are also adding to his woes. During the 6-2 loss to the Brewers, Tucker failed to secure a playable fly ball near the warning track in the ninth inning, compounding an ongoing offensive slump and enabling further Milwaukee scoring. The outfield blunder followed a similar misplay on a routine pop-up during a subsequent game against the Colorado Rockies.
While drifting under a shallow fly ball hit by Colorado’s Connor Norby, the ball glanced directly off Tucker’s glove for an embarrassing two-base error. Visibly dejected by the misplay amid a massive season-long slump, Tucker collapsed to the outfield grass in frustration. As the Rockies’ at-bat ended, Tucker was seen fading out to the dugout head down. He still had a last chance against the Rockies position player Troy Johnston, who was pitching in the ninth inning. Yet, he ended with a groundout. Just when Kike Hernandez was at the batter’s box, Tucker was seen fighting back his tears in the dugout.
Despite the Dodgers manager seeming to stay positive with Tucker, the same cannot be said with the fans. The loud boos from the stands depict their frustration.
The Boos are getting louder against Kyle Tucker
Just after Tucker entered the Dodgers with a $240 million contract, fans expected a repetition of his Cubs stint. In his single season with the Cubs in 2025, Tucker batted .266/.377/.464 with 22 homers, 73 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases over 136 games. Amid the age-related declines from veterans like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers needed the same slugging from Tucker. Instead, it went otherwise.
A .230 average with 11 homers is what the Dodgers have gotten so far from Tucker in 2026. Enough for the fans to go negative. During the 6-2 loss to the Brewers on Sunday, Tucker failed to catch a routine fly ball hit by Jackson Chourio in right field. That resulted in a costly two-base error, allowing runners to advance. And just then, probably the loudest and most severe boos from the stands. The crowd also booed his final at-bats on the same night.
Even analysts are asking for a reset. “I honestly think the best thing right now is a reset,” former Dodgers slugger Eric Karros said on Monday. He suggested the Dodgers send Tucker to Arizona for a training reset before rushing him to the postseason. Roberts’ latest remark, although, doesn’t reveal any such plans as of now.
The only positive part was that Tucker scored a run from his 3 at-bats in the ongoing game against the Rockies. The Dodgers are currently 79-51 and still leading the NL West. It is almost certain that they are entering the playoffs in 2026, which makes Tucker’s form more important going forward.