Kyle Tucker injury cover-up leaves Cubs fans reliving nightmare Astros know too well

Former Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker has been out of the Chicago Cubs lineup for the past three games, and with good reason. Since the All-Star break, Tucker is hitting just .182/.333/.239 with only two doubles and one home run.

Those are not Tucker-like stats, and his lack of production has raised concerns among the Cubs' fanbase. After sitting Tucker the other day, Cubs manager Craig Counsell offered a rather profound (not really) comment, saying, "Just some time off to kind of get him away from the thoughts he’s having and maybe create new thoughts."

Many astute Cubs fans were beginning to wonder if Tucker was hurt. After all, what else could explain a perennial All-Star seeing such a sharp decline in production? As it turns out, those inquisitive Cubs fans were spot on, and Counsell admitted as much to the media during a press conference on Wednesday.

Kyle Tucker injury cover-up leaves Cubs fans reliving nightmare Astros know too well

Counsell came clean saying, "He (Tucker) injured his hand in a slide. Initial X-rays were negative...And then he was kind of sore, but good to go. You know, he was sore for a little while, but was able to play. We did some more imaging, and it showed a small fracture that was healing. Um, and that's it."

Yeah, that's it alright. Counsell later admitted that Tucker's injury could be the reason for his lack of production. Do you think so, genius? Of course it's the reason for his struggles. Though Tucker is far from the only Major League player to play through an injury, when you're performance is obviously hurting the team, it's the manager's job to make the best decision for the team, not just the player who's hoping to cash in big on a free agent contract this coming offseason.

Astros' fans know all too well what Cubs' fans are going through at the moment. The Houston faithful were strung along for months last season after Tucker fouled a ball off his shin. What was deemed to be bruise at first turned into a stint on the 60-day IL, and the team eventually revealed that Tucker suffered a fracture in his leg. What is it about Tucker and teams concealing his injuries?

Whatever it is, don't think that those issues won't be a topic of discussion during contract negotiations this coming winter. While the Astros certainly aren't looking ot bring Tucker back to Houston — especially for the kind of cash he's going to be seeking — some other club is bound to back up the Brinks truck this offseason.

These misleading tactics from the Cubs (and the Astros) are somewhat curious, and it's fair to wonder why Chicago never placed Tucker on the IL. Apparently he's fine now, but his numbers certainly don't reflect that.

More Houston Astros News and Rumors