Latest Kyle Tucker injury update adds even more uncertainty to his return timeline

For everything that has gone right for the Houston Astros over the last couple of months, the health of their stars has not been one of their strengths. Their rotation has been decimated by injuries, and while the lineup hasn't had the quantity of IL stints that the pitching staff has, Houston arguably lost their best hitter when Kyle Tucker fouled a ball off his shin in early June.

While Astros fans were initially given good news after Tucker's injury when scans showed no structural damage, it is nearing the end of July and Tucker is still not back in the lineup. It has become abundantly clear that what was initially hoped to be a minor issue instead has become a lingering problem as the team hopes to build on their momentum from the end of the first half.

Unfortunately, the latest update on Tucker's rehab progress was more of the same. On Tuesday, Astros manager Joe Espada revealed that while Tucker was doing baseball activities, including some work in the outfield, he still has a ways to go before he can return from the Injured List.

Astros News: Kyle Tucker's recovery from shin injury remains quite slow

According to Espada, the team agrees that Tucker is certainly making progress, as he is now able to move around better and actually get back in game shape a bit. However, they also aren't super thrilled with how he is moving around during outfield drills, and other observers noted that Tucker still seems to be favoring his leg when moving side-to-side in the field.

Obviously, this news isn't great. Tucker was forcing his way into the AL MVP discussion before he got hurt, and nearly two months removed from his injury, we still don't have a timeline for his return or even when he will go out on a rehab assignment. That is just the way these sorts of contusion injuries go sometimes, as deep bruises and bone bruises can take a while to heal, but that doesn't make it any less brutal as the Astros head into a critical stretch of the 2024 season.

That said, things could change relatively quickly with Tucker. This isn't a situation where the team is going to need good results from a scan or can adhere to a set rehab plan. Once Tucker is moving around the way the team likes and he is feeling good, they can just send him out on a rehab assignment. It just doesn't seem like that is going to be happening anytime soon.

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