Dodgers Manager Has Noticed Something Different About Kyle Tucker Lately

When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed star outfielder Kyle Tucker this past offseason, the move made all the sense in the world.

Even with the $240 million price tag, adding Tucker helped solve one of the bigger weaknesses that the Dodgers had in 2025. The veteran was also going to help give this team more of a consistent presence offensively, adding another layer of dominance to the defending champions.

However, his start with Los Angeles has been anything but that, with Tucker struggling to meet the expectations of his contract. Tucker hasn't looked like the player he's been in the past, and it's been a concerning trend for the Dodgers.

But the team has been working with him to get his bat going more consistently. And Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he's noticed something with Tucker over the last few weeks that gives him confidence a turnaround is coming.

“He’s not a very talkative person, but I will say that he, the last few weeks, he’s really opened up with his teammates, with the coaches, and I think he’s freeing himself up, being more comfortable,” Roberts said. “But he cares. He’s working hard, trying his tail off, and he was frustrated, obviously, during the last homestand. So to get back to feeling like you’ve got a fighting chance, I think he’s in a better head space.”

Overall, Tucker has hit .240 with six home runs and 39 runs batted in, while putting up an OPS of .724. Tucker has started to play a little better over the last few games, which Roberts attributes to him finally feeling more comfortable on his new team.

Kyle Tucker launches a 3-run blast to tie the game 🚀 pic.twitter.com/U0DMKsufz2
— MLB (@MLB) June 16, 2026

Coming to the two-time reigning champions could have been a lot of pressure at first for Tucket. But for the Dodgers to complete the three-peat, they will need Tucker to play freely, being the $240 million player that they signed him to be.

Tucker is well aware of his struggles, and he's been trying to tweak his swing to get it back to normal. But it takes time for things like this to come together, and all he can do is keep putting the work in.

“It kind of happens. We play so many games that it can get frustrating, but you just have to move on to the next at-bat or the next game,” Tucker said. “Obviously, you’d like to figure it out from at-bat No. 1 to the end of the year, but it doesn’t always work out like that. You just have to try to be consistent every single day.”

Playing around so many great players should only help Tucker figure it out at some point, and the Dodgers haven't lost faith in him. Tucker is far too talented a player to stay down for much longer, and eventually, he should break out of the slump.

When he does, the rest of the league could be in trouble.

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