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Dave Roberts isn’t sugarcoating it: Kyle Tucker hasn’t been the hitter the Dodgers expected when they acquired him. Per Dodger Blue staff reporting, Roberts pointed out that Tucker has been uncharacteristic in the batter’s box through the first half of 2026, and the Dodgers manager wants his outfielder to “get back to who he is” as a hitter. Roberts acknowledged there could be some underlying issues contributing to Tucker’s struggles, but the mechanical habits at the plate have been the most visible problem.

Tucker came to the Dodgers as one of the most complete hitters in baseball. During his time with the Houston Astros, he established himself as a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat — a left-handed bat who combined elite contact ability with real power and an advanced approach. His 2023 and 2024 seasons in Houston were star-caliber campaigns, earning him All-Star selections and cementing his reputation as one of the premier outfielders in the American League. He could hit for average, drive the ball to all fields, draw walks, and play a strong left field defensively. That’s the player the Dodgers thought they were getting, and that’s the player Roberts is publicly calling on to resurface.

The fact that Roberts is singling out Tucker’s habits — not just results — tells us something. This isn’t a manager chalking up a slump to bad luck or hard-hit balls finding gloves. When a manager talks about a player’s approach being “uncharacteristic,” that’s a diplomatic way of saying the player is doing things he doesn’t normally do in the box. Whether that’s expanding the zone, getting pull-happy, or being too passive early in counts, something has shifted. And Roberts clearly believes the fix is internal — Tucker returning to the identity that made him an elite hitter in the first place.

The mention of possible underlying issues is worth paying attention to. We don’t know yet whether that refers to something physical, a nagging injury that hasn’t hit the IL, or something more mechanical that’s snowballed. Either way, Roberts didn’t elaborate, and the Dodgers haven’t made any corresponding roster moves that would suggest a stint on the injured list is imminent. For now, the plan appears to be working through it.

From our perspective, this is one of the more important storylines of the Dodgers’ first half. Tucker wasn’t brought here to be a complementary piece — he was brought here to be a core part of a championship-caliber lineup alongside Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. When Tucker is right, this lineup is historically deep. When he’s fighting himself at the plate, it leaves a gap that puts more pressure on everyone else. I don’t think there’s any panic yet — Tucker’s track record is too strong for that — but the longer this drags on, the more it becomes a real concern rather than just a slow start. Roberts saying it out loud publicly is a signal that the coaching staff is engaged and pushing Tucker to snap out of it. That’s a good sign. Now we need to see results.

Source(s): Staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: June 26, 2026 3:24 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers