The Houston Astros activated outfielder Kyle Tucker from the 60-day injured list on Friday, clearing the way for him to make his first appearance since June 3. In corresponding moves, the Astros optioned infielder Zach Dezenzo to Triple-A Sugar Land and designated lefty reliever Parker Mushinski to clear a spot on the 40-player roster. (Players on the 60-day IL don't count as part of the 40-player roster.)
Tucker, 27, suffered his injury after fouling a ball off his right shin in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. While the original diagnosis described the ailment as a contusion, Tucker admitted this week that subsequent imaging revealed a fracture.
"After the swelling and everything calmed down, the continued imaging revealed there was a little fracture in my shin," Tucker told MLB's Brian McTaggart. "I just focused on my rehab from there."
The club referred to Tucker's injury as a "deep bone bruise" and a "shin contusion" for the majority of his IL stint. Only this week did general manager Dana Brown reveal to The Athletic that Tucker was recovering from a fracture.
"After several rounds of medical imaging, we suspect there was some type of small fracture," Brown said. "As with all injuries of this type, once the fracture heals it takes time for the muscles around the leg to regain strength. Tuck has worked extremely hard to get back on the field and thankfully is ready now to help us in September and in the postseason."
Tucker had been in the midst of a career season prior to the injury. In 60 games, he had batted .266/.395/.584 (175 OPS+) with 19 home runs and 10 stolen bases. His contributions had been worth an estimated 3.6 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball-Reference's calculations. During his absence, he was named to the All-Star Game, the third time in his career he's earned the honor.
The Astros handed out at least four starts in right field to seven different players during Tucker's absence, including new additions Jason Heyward and Ben Gamel. Although the Astros struggled to replace Tucker's production, they greatly improved their fortunes during his absence. Indeed, the Astros trailed the Seattle Mariners in the American League West by seven games the night Tucker went down, yet he'll return to an Astros team that entered Friday with a comfortable 4 1/2-game advantage.
