The Los Angeles Dodgers visiting the Houston Astros this week represents a homecoming for Kyle Tucker, who played seven seasons with the organization prior to being traded to the Chicago Cubs in December 2024.
Tucker established himself as one of the most productive players in baseball with the Astros, earning three All-Star selections and helping the team win the 2022 World Series.
Given his successful stint with the club and the fact that he didn’t leave on his own, it was curious that Astros fans booed Tucker throughout the series opener at Daikin Field on Monday night.
“I don’t know,” Tucker said on SportsNet LA when asked if he was surprised by the negative reception. “I don’t really focus on crowd noise. Most of the time I don’t hear a whole lot, so I don’t really have a take on it.”
Despite not receiving much of a hero’s welcome in his return to Houston, Tucker has nothing but fond memories of his time with the Astros.
“I loved being here and playing here,” Tucker said. “I know there’s a lot of new faces over there, but it’s always nice coming back and seeing some of the guys, reconnecting with them. It’s always nice being back for me.”
Across his seven seasons with the Astros, Tucker hit .274/.353/.516 with 135 doubles, 16 triples, 125 home runs and 417 RBI in 633 games. He received MVP votes in three different seasons while also winning a Gold Glove Award and Silver Slugger.
Kyle Tucker’s game against Astros
Tucker, who entered the night batting .276/.353/.516 with 75 doubles, 58 home runs and 202 RBI in his career at Daikin Park, had another strong performance at the plate in Houston.
He started things off by hitting a pop-up to shallow left field that dropped in for a two-out RBI single in the first inning, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead and extending his on-base streak to 11 games. Tucker then lined a home run to right field in the third inning to finish 2-for-5 with two RBI.
The 29-year-old is now hitting .242/.325/.386 with seven doubles, four home runs and 18 RBI in 151 plate appearances across 34 games for the Dodgers this season.
Since the start of his 11-game on-base streak on April 23, Tucker is batting .262/.333/.452 with six extra-base hits and five RBI.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
