What Is The Cubs' Biggest Concern To Overcome Down The Stretch of the Season?

The Chicago Cubs have been playing great baseball for the majority of the season, but there are a few things to be concerned about heading down the stretch.

Fans and analysts alike will point to their starting pitching as a concern. Upgrading the rotation was the No. 1 priority ahead of the MLB trade deadline and the only acquisition that was made was Michael Soroka from the Washington Nationals. He was injured in his first appearance with the team.

The emergence of rookie Cade Horton has certainly helped. He looks like a capable third option alongside Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga in a playoff series. The current National League Rookie of the Year winner has been dominant on the mound over the last few weeks.

Figuring out the pitching situation is certainly important, but that isn’t the biggest concern the team has to overcome down the stretch. In the opinion of Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required), it is a part of their lineup that is the biggest concern. More specifically, Kyle Tucker’s slump this summer.

Kyle Tucker Is Cubs Biggest Concern Heading Down Stretch

It was recently revealed that he was dealing with a hairline fracture in his right hand in June. An exact date of injury wasn’t shared, but it was easy to see that something was wrong, given the drastic drop-off in his production. Through June, he was easily one of the best players in the MLB, providing an impact at the plate, on the basepaths and with his glove.

Tucker was setting the tone for his teammates and they followed suit. The Cubs had the most prolific offense in baseball for a long stretch, bludgeoning teams to the top of the National League Central standings. But once his production slowed, the rest of the team was dragged down with him.

Their other All-Star outfielder, center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, going into a summer swoon of his own certainly didn’t help. With those two playing well below replacement level, Chicago’s lineup all of a sudden looked ordinary.

With everything weighing on Tucker and the slump continuing, manager Craig Counsell decided to give his star player a rest. It was a chance to reset and get his game back on track. Against the Milwaukee Brewers last week, he was out of the lineup a few days. It was a decision that seems to have worked.

Kyle Tucker homers AGAIN 😮

He makes it a 10-0 ballgame! pic.twitter.com/d4zBHP2ZZY
— MLB (@MLB) August 24, 2025

“Can he keep it up? The Cubs need Tucker at his best if they’re going to close the season strong and have success in October,” Bowden wrote.

That best version of him has been shining through since he received a few days off. Tucker has been in the lineup five times since and the numbers are more in line with what is expected of him. He has a .300/.391/.800 slash line in 23 plate appearances, hitting three home runs and one double with seven RBI. His numbers could have been even better if not for a lowly .231 batting average on balls in play during that stretch.

With the hairline fracture seemingly behind him and his mental game back where it needs to be, Tucker looks ready to buoy the offense once again as he did the first three months of the season.

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