Cubs Dealt Major Blow With Kyle Tucker Missing Nationals Game Due to Alarming Injury Update

The Chicago Cubs were waiting for star outfielder Kyle Tucker to break his home run drought, and he finally did at the end of August. But Tucker then suffered a calf injury and was ruled out for the series finale against the Atlanta Braves.

Tucker played on Tuesday for the Cubs against the Braves but missed Wednesday’s game due to the injury.

“Felt it a decent amount coming in to today,” Tucker told Jesse Rogers after Tuesday’s game. “I tried some treatment so I could get ahead of it before the game. … It felt all right and then just as the game went, just got a little more sore (and) tight.”

On Friday, the Cubs kick off a series against the Washington Nationals, but Tucker is absent from the starting lineup, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

“Kyle Tucker (calf) won’t start today, per Craig Counsell. Team is hopeful he’ll play sometime this weekend. Could be at DH,” Rogers wrote.

Willi Castro replaced Tucker on Tuesday and started for him on Wednesday, so it’s no surprise that Castro is again in right field on Friday.

However, Castro is hitting just .230 on the year with 11 home runs and 31 RBI, so it is a far cry from Tucker’s .270 average with 22 home runs and 73 RBI.

Start of three vs. D.C. pic.twitter.com/ndwXW7rSaQ

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 5, 2025

The Cubs enter Friday’s game with an 80-60 record, which is good for second in the National League Central and has them in control of the NL Wild Card race. The good news is they are facing the Nationals at home for three games before a big series on the road against the Braves, so the hope is Tucker can get healthy and return this weekend.

The Cubs currently have a comfortable five-game lead in the NL Wild Card race, which at this point seems how they get into the postseason since the Milwaukee brewers have the best record in the NL and a six-game lead over the Cubs.