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Latest On Kyle Tucker’s Injury Raises Playoff Questions For Cubs

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI
By Michael Brauner | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 10:29 AM ET

The Chicago Cubs are less than two weeks away from playoff baseball in the Windy City, and while they have been playing some nice baseball as of late, there is one massive elephant missing from the room recently.

With their most important player and impending free agent star outfielder Kyle Tucker still on the shelf, things do not seem to be moving in the right direction in terms of his recovery.

Last week, the updates given from the team were optimistic that it could be a minimum stay on the IL. However, with Tucker eligible to return on Tuesday, it sounds like he is still a ways away from getting back on the field.

“It hasn’t gone as quickly as I would have hoped,” Tucker said on Monday before the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates via Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (subscription required). “I’m just going to try to keep getting after it."

Tucker Gives Brutal Dose of Honesty on Status to Cubs Fans

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For those concerned about him not getting enough at-bats before the playoffs to get back into gear, it seems Tucker is less worried about putting a number figure on it, however it also does not sound like he thinks he is much closer to returning than he was last week.

“I don’t think there’s an actual specific number,” Tucker said, adding in a dose of reality. “I’d like to get back today, but it’s not really going to happen right now.”

"Not much progress, frankly," manager Craig Counsell added when asked about where Tucker is at, bringing into question when he will actually make the kind of progress he needs to in order to get back into the lineup before October.

Will Tucker Return to Lineup Before Playoffs Begin?

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Last week, this did not seem like much of a question. A full seven days closer to October and seemingly zero positive progress being made and the question has to at least be asked. The reality here is that something which seemed like a guarantee previously is now extremely murky. Over the coming days, look for any sort of positive update that Tucker is progressing.

If that update does not come, it seems possible that the All-Star might have a tough time getting back on the field before the games really start counting next month. This of course would be a completely devastating development for a player they gave up a ton to acquire not being able to play in the playoffs before potentially leaving the team after one season.

Nothing is definitive at this point and it's not yet time to hit the panic button, but the button is certainly ready and handy and if Tucker does not progress soon, it will be very much time to press it.

This article first appeared on Chicago Cubs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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