Despite Delayed Decision, Minimal IL Stint for Kyle Tucker ‘Unlikely’

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh Craig Counsell told reporters prior to Friday’s game that Kyle Tucker is hitting and throwing, but he will not begin running until after the weekend. The manager added that activating Tucker on Tuesday, the earliest he is eligible to come off the IL, is “unlikely.” That’s somewhat interesting given he was doing running drills last weekend, when he was supposedly available off the bench. The Cubs maintained that ruse all the way up until Tuesday, at which point he had already missed five games.

Not only did that mean playing shorthanded for parts of three different series, but waiting so long meant they could only backdate the start of the IL stint to September 6 instead…