Dodgers' Dave Roberts explains how he's trying to 'restore the confidence' for Kyle Tucker amid slump

DENVER — Entering Tuesday on an 0-for-24 skid over his last seven games, Kyle Tucker is in a serious slump. The Los Angeles Dodgers are making sure, however, during this tough time that he doesn't feel like he is "on an island."

Tucker, one of MLB's most sought-after free agents who was signed in the offseason to a four-year, $240 million deal by the Dodgers, has never had more than five games without a hit. His seven-game stretch heading into Tuesday night's game against the Colorado Rockies has been magnified not only because of the size of his contract, but also the defensive lapses he has shown in recent games. That includes a dropped fly ball in Monday's 11-5 win over the Rockies.

Knowing Dodgers fans are growing frustrated with Tucker's output and that his confidence may be "shaken" at the moment, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts explained on Tuesday how he is trying to manage the struggling Tucker and the expectations facing him.

"I manage him by having conversations and supporting him," Roberts said. "When you go through struggles like this, I think the worst thing is when a player feels like they're on an island. For me, we're going to go through this together. And I think for me, it's just trying to get him to restore the confidence. Clearly, it's a little bit shaken, and sometimes you got to fake it till you make it, and be proactive with that mindset, and not just wait for results to kind of validate it.

"For me, it's just supporting him and encouraging him to go out there, compete, be positive, and expect good things to happen."

Roberts said those conversations with Tucker aren't all about baseball.

"It's when you start to struggle and you internalize, you start to go dark. You find yourself going dark, and that's a lonely place," Roberts said. "I think that, for me, trying to proactively pull conversations out of him, talk about life, talk about baseball, it just kind of opens things up, and I think that it's freeing.

"He's a cerebral guy by nature, internalizes a lot, but he's with a new ball club. He's scuffling, so I want to get that out of him."

Benching, demotion not in the Dodgers' plans for Kyle Tucker

Would Tucker benefit from being out of the lineup for a few days? Roberts didn't buy into that plan on Tuesday.

"I haven't made a decision with (Dodgers facing Colorado starter Kyle) Freeland tomorrow, but he (Tucker) is going to play today (Tuesday)," Roberts said. "I'm not at the point where it's like a three-day, three-game reset situation or something like that."