Dodgers' Kyle Tucker Officially Taking Drastic Measures to Get Season on Track

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker can now say he's tried everything.

For the first time this season, Tucker took on-field batting practice ahead of a game. It's the latest measure he's taken as he looks for ways to get his season on track.

First time this season Kyle Tucker is taking BP on the field. Home or Road. #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/8R7s7bDF1b
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) August 21, 2026

Tucker enters Friday's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates as a below-average hitter, currently slashing .232/.327/.368 with an OPS of .694. His OPS+ of 94 is 6% below league average, while his wRC+ of 95 is 5% below league average.

Tucker and the Dodgers are also back at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium, where Tucker has been even worse as demonstrated by his well-documented home-road splits.

Thus, before Friday's game, Tucker was seen doing something new — and something he hopes will help break him out of a season-long funk.

"I don't know," Tucker said when asked for the reasoning behind his on-field batting practice. "I haven't been hitting great this year so I figured I'd try something else. Hopefully it helps."

#Dodgers Kyle Tucker on his decision to take BP on the field today: "I don't know -- I haven't been hitting great this year so I figured I'd try something else. Hopefully it helps."
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— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) August 22, 2026

Tucker was also asked what he was looking for by taking batting practice on the field, rather than his usual pregame work in the batting cages.

"Just feel a good swing, try and find something that I can repeat with good ball flight, whether it’s hit the other way or pulled," he said. "Just try to do something like that and carry it over to the game."

Good swings have been few and far between for Tucker this season, especially at home, where he's hitting just .189 with an OPS of .558.

Manager Dave Roberts benched him during a home game last weekend, but said he plans on having Tucker play in all three games against Pittsburgh this weekend.

"I really feel like we turned a corner," Roberts said of Tucker before Friday's game. "Mentally, emotionally, I think that he's freed up. I don't know what that looks like, but I'm encouraged."

He added: "We're in a fight. And I think that he understands that there's no other alternative but to keep going forward. We just got to get through this together. ... He's not on an island, we're here to support him, I'm here to support him and anything that we can do to unlock him we're gonna do."

Roberts gave Tucker a similar message while speaking on MLB Network Radio earlier this week.

"My message to him is you're not alone," Roberts said.

Whether or not this leads to results remains to be seen.

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