Dodgers' Dave Roberts Not 'Disappointed' in Kyle Tucker's First Season

Inconsistent sums up Tucker's 2026 performance.

May 17, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker (23) is greeted by teammates after scoring during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers star outfielder Kyle Tucker is still looking for consistency this season.

Tucker is hitting .240 with five home runs, 29 runs batted in and a OPS of .726. His stat line is well below his career norms and could likely be attributed to his swing-and-miss rate as well as some other mechanical issues at the plate.

Tucker ranks in the 42nd percentile in average exit velocity and the 39th percentile in hard-hit percentage. He's in the 55th percentile in whiff rate.

The Dodgers signed Tucker, the top free agent of the winter, to a four-year, $240 million deal. Baseball fans groaned and grumbled at the prospect of the Dodgers landing a player coming off four consecutive All-Star seasons.

The landmark deal was another example of the Dodgers' overwhelming ability to spare no expense in acquiring talent. While LA won the Tucker sweepstakes, his early tenure with the back-to-back champions hasn't been a fairytale.

Manager Dave Roberts has discussed Tucker's struggles for the last few months, citing the transition period as a possible factor for the down numbers at the plate. Roberts recently made it clear that the transition period should be over, and that there weren't any more excuses for the outfielder.

Tucker's struggles have been back and forth in 2026. There are times where he's heating up and then proceeds to cool down.

The last three games are a perfect example of Tucker's plight. In the last two matchups against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the star went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and 1-for-4. In Friday night's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels, Tucker went hitless in three at-bats.

Many have asked whether Tucker's first season with the Dodgers has been disappointing especially given the nature of his one step forward, two steps back performance.

Roberts answered candidly.

“I wouldn’t say disappointed,” Roberts said. “I would say I’m probably just hoping that there’s some traction for him and for our sake. He’s working hard. There’s a day where it looks like he’s back and feeling comfortable. Then a couple days where you look at him and it looks like he’s searching again.

"For me, you just hope he can find something that sticks.”

Roberts had tried to remedy Tucker's early struggles by moving him down in the lineup, which proved to be helpful for the outfielder at times. But overall, Tucker remains an inconsistent producer in the lineup.

Despite Tucker's struggles, the Dodgers have continued their winning ways in this recent stretch of games. Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off home run against the Angels (who else?) after the Dodgers suffered their first walk-off loss of the season to the Diamondbacks Thursday night. They then dominated the Angels, 9-2, on Saturday.

The Dodgers offense has heated up and is chugging along as the trade deadline approaches, but there will be a time that the lineup will need Tucker at his best.

While Tucker hasn't had a picturesque start with the Dodgers, there's still a chance he'll get a Hollywood ending this season.

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