Cubs fans are finding out what Astros fans already knew about Kyle Tucker

The Houston Astros traded Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs this past offseason, and the immediate reaction from most of the fanbase was overwhelmingly negative. Quite frankly, the backlash was understandable. Though contract talks had met an impasse, it was difficult to see a path back to the postseason without Tucker's bat in the middle of the Astros lineup.

Fast-forward several months, and Astros fans are not only excited about the team's unexpected playoff push, but the Houston faithful is likely breathing a sigh of relief after seeing Tucker land on the injured list once again with a troubling — and predictable — setback.

Marquee Sports Network reporter Taylor McGregor is reporting that Tucker left the team on Wednesday and is headed to Tampa, Florida to see a group of personal trainers. Tucker is currently on the IL after suffering a calf injury, and he's made little progress in this attempt to rejoin the active roster.

Cubs fans are finding out what Astros fans already knew about Kyle Tucker

Tucker's had a fine season on the North Side of Chicago. While the second-half has been somewhat rocky, the 28-year-old still owns a .270/.381/.472 slash line with 22 home runs and a 139 wRC+. While those stats aren't as good as his numbers from a year ago (during only 78 regular season games), they were enough to send him to the All-Star Game for the fourth consecutive season.

Tucker, however, has been on the IL since September 9 — backdated to September 6 — with what's described as a left calf strain. But this is just the latest injury issue Tucker's dealt with this season. The former Astros outfielder was mired in the worst slump of his career earlier this season, and despite both fans and the media questioning his status, manager Craig Counsell maintained his was fully healthy.

Of course, that wasn't true, and Counsell later revealed that Tucker had been dealing with hand injury for over two months. Tucker supposedly injured his hand in June, but it wasn't made public until August. Sounds familiar, doesn't it Astros fans?

Now, as the Cubs prepare to make a playoff push, it's questionable whether or not Tucker will even be part of their postseason roster. Astros fans, of course, are not surprised. They've seen this movie before.

What was once a questionable (and possibly lopsided) offseason trade has turned into a win-win for both teams. The Astros received a top-tier prospect (Cam Smith) and All-Star caliber third baseman (Isaac Paredes) while the Cubs got a middle-of-the-bat. If, however, Tucker doesn't return for the playoffs and/ or fails to re-sign in Chicago, this could be seen as a lopsided trade in the Astros favor.

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