Los Angeles Dodgers star Kyle Tucker does not believe he is pressing, as manager Dave Roberts has alluded to on multiple occasions.
Tucker has started slowly, which would be less concerning if his predecessor in the corner outfield, Michael Conforto, hadn’t struggled throughout the season, as he did at the beginning.
However, since Tucker signed a four-year, $240 million deal that is a record for average annual value after deferrals, the bar is very high.
Add in the reception from MLB, who collectively groaned at the best free agent joining the Dodgers — a true baseball spending powerhouse — and there is pressure on the multi-time All-Star.
Tucker, over the past month of play, has denied feeling any pressure on his shoulders from the expectations and hoopla surrounding his signing.
Roberts, on the other hand, has been steadfast in his belief that Tucker is forcing the issue at the plate more than he usually does.
“I do feel he’s trying to do too much,” Roberts said. “I’d like to think it’s not pressure-based, but the reality is that he’s scuffling right now. I definitely expect him to come out of it and hit, get on base and do what he’s done for many years. … I just wanted to change it up, and felt like it was time.”
Rather than it having to do with anything mental or his approach, Tucker believes that it is down to his swing not totally clicking/
“I think it’s more just me trying to find my swing, and trying to find the consistency in it more than anything,” he said.
“I have had some good swings. Sometimes, I just get a hit because I just happened to get a hit. But just trying to find the consistency with my swing and do it day in, day out.”
On Thursday, for the first time as a Dodger, Tucker hit in a different spot in the lineup, moving down the order from No. 2 to No. 4, as Freddie Freeman moved up the order.
Freeman has certainly been the better hitter, making a ton of hard contact and looking like his best self, making the right decisions, and showing off his quality eye.
Tucker responded with a good hitting day, going 2-for-4 with a single and a double. Roberts has made it clear that he will be sticking with his fundamental lineup for the foreseeable future, even if Tucker turns things up.
Kyle Tucker is slumping and gets moved down the order before the game.His response? A clean double into the gap and a heads up run from third to home after the infielder bobbles the ball in.Dodgers hope it gets him going. pic.twitter.com/mTFBhc8llE
Getting the chance to see more pitches before coming into the box and having less pressure to hit could certainly help Tucker, who will need to get going soon to quell a Dodger fanbase that is still feeling burned by the last free agent outfielder to sign on.