How Teammates, Coaches and Even Dodgers Fans Are Trying To Help Kyle Tucker Turn A Corner

LOS ANGELES — As reporters shuffled to the back of the Dodgers’ clubhouse to swarm Kyle Tucker after the beleaguered right fielder snapped an 0-for-26 hitless skid at home with a go-ahead single last Saturday, one of Tucker’s teammates chimed in one locker away. “First hit in three homestands!” Miguel Rojas teased loudly with a grin across his face. “Look what happens when you get a hit!” Tucker took the razzing in stride. He knew it was an example of Rojas, one of the veteran leaders in the Dodgers’ clubhouse, trying to provide some levity and a reason to laugh amid a dreadful start to the four-time All-Star’s first season in Los Angeles. On the “On Base with Mookie Betts” podcast, Betts described Rojas as “the person that can really talk to [Tucker] and level with him and kind of keep him going.” Ultimately, Rojas believes the more comfortable he and his teammates can make Tucker feel, the better Tucker will play. Rojas is still figuring out the best way to do that, as he tries to get to know the taciturn outfielder. “For Kyle, it’s a little bit different because he’s a superstar,” Rojas told me. “He needs to be open to accept anything from his teammates, kind of be open to learning new people, but I think our job as teammates in the clubhouse is to take the time to learn him — see what he’s like, what he likes to do — to kind of free him up on the field.” One activity Tucker enjoys, Rojas has discovered, is playing cards. So, Rojas recently taught Tucker a Venezuelan card game, which they’ve been playing in the Dodgers’ clubhouse. Rojas has only played sparingly, but he knows if he can play even a small part in helping get Tucker going, he will have found a way to help his team. “We’ve had conversations to try to make him feel better and unlock his potential out there,” Rojas said. “There’s a lot of pressure because of the expectations: ‘Oh, yeah, we brought you here because we need you to win another championship,’ all that kind of creates a lot of stress. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to let the guy kind of feel good and feel comfortable around you. Sometimes, you have to wait for him to come to you.” Tucker’s four-year, $240 million deal seemed like an excessive luxury that would turn an already loaded Dodgers roster coming off back-to-back World Series championships into an indomitable force. Instead, at least to this point, it has been a detriment. Tucker, who produced an OPS over .800 in each of his last seven seasons, entered Wednesday with a .687 mark. He’s on track to hit below league average for the first time since he was a 21-year-old rookie in 2018, when he played in only 28 games. Most of Tucker’s struggles have come at Dodger Stadium, and neither Tucker nor the Dodgers can figure out how or why he has produced the lowest OPS at home of any qualified hitter in the sport. He also hasn’t helped his cause as a baserunner or in the outfield, where he’s producing his worst defensive season by most metrics. “He’s going through a lot,” Rojas said, “because he really wants to perform.” The lowest point of Tucker’s worst season came a couple of weeks ago. He was given a Saturday off at home against Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski after Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sensed that his right fielder’s frustrations were starting to bleed into his production. Tucker returned to the lineup the next day, then concluded an 0-for-19 homestand by dropping a fly ball at the wall. The defensive blunder was met by boos as the Dodgers lost the game and the season series to the Brewers. One day later, Tucker went 0-for-5 in Colorado. During the loss, he hesitantly attempted to catch a routine fly ball near his ankles. The ball popped out of his glove. “That ball that drops there, that’s because of confidence and feeling the pressure of what’s been going on,” Rojas said. “It’s not because of his ability to catch a fly ball, you know?” Tucker maintained that he felt fine — that he was “all right” and “all good” — even as the results and his body language painted a different picture. But when asked last weekend if this year has been hard on him mentally, he took a long pause before responding. The lull said more than the words that followed, though he did acknowledge the reality. “I mean, it’s been a struggle in the sense that I’d like to help our team win and perform better for the guys in the clubhouse and the fans that come to the games,” Tucker said. “In that aspect, I wish I would’ve done better this year.” Of course, the year is not done. Tucker’s struggles have not sunk the Dodgers, who entered Wednesday with a 9.5-game lead in the division and the second-best record in the sport. And as poorly he has played to this point, Tucker’s performance in October will ultimately trump anything that has happened to this point. So, instead of harping on what has already transpired, Tucker is trying to focus on what remains possible. “We’ve still got a month and a half left and the playoffs coming up,” Tucker said. “So, it’s not over yet.” His teammates and coaches have helped him foster that positive mindset, trying to remain upbeat and optimistic. Last Friday, for example, Roberts claimed that Tucker had “turned a corner,” despite the right fielder coming off a mediocre 3-for-14 series in Colorado. “Mentally and emotionally, I think that he’s freed up,” Roberts explained. “We’re in a fight, and I think that he understands that there’s no other alternative but to keep going forward. We’ve just got to get through this together.” As the season has progressed, Roberts believes he has built enough trust with Tucker that he can start to press the first-year Dodger to be more proactive. “Really challenging him to push himself, to be uncomfortable, to get out of his comfort zone, all the while supporting him,” Roberts told me. “That goes to his work, his preparation, the conversations I’m pushing him to have with other people that he might not be used to doing.” In an effort to find a spark, Roberts encouraged Tucker to switch up his routine. One change came last Friday, when Tucker, who typically only hits in the indoor cage before games, decided to take batting practice on the field. That night, the fans at Dodger Stadium tried to provide a lift, too, giving Tucker an ovation before his first at-bat to start the homestand. It did not produce the intended result, as Tucker went 0-for-4 with a walk in the game. He finished that series against the Pirates just 2-for-11, though his hit Saturday proved to be the game winner. He also reached base twice on Sunday, but he has followed that up with a 1-for-9 start to the Dodgers’ road trip. His OPS (.680) is now the lowest it has been since April 22. It’s hardly the kind of production the Dodgers expected when they gave him a contract with the highest present-day average annual value in baseball history when accounting for deferrals. But if Tucker can find a way to right the ship over the next two months, his first four will be forgiven. “He’s going to help us win a championship,” Roberts told me, “and it’s my job to make sure that he doesn’t lose that confidence.” Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.