The Chicago Cubs are just days away from their regular season coming to an end and starting on a playoff campaign which they hope is a deep and successful run. In order to make that happen though, they will need all hands on deck.

One of those hands they haven’t had lately is arguably their best and most important player in superstar right fielder Kyle Tucker, who has been out for weeks now with a calf strain. Tucker even left the team last week to rehab in Florida, but now that he’s back, it does seem he’s getting closer.

After beginning a running progression on Monday, Tucker was seen running the bases at Wrigley Field prior to their Tuesday night loss to the New York Mets. This seems like great news on the surface, but Tucker downplayed it a bit when speaking to the media for the first time since his return.

Sep 5, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) hits a three-run home run against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at Wrigley Field. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

“There’s probably a few more boxes that I got to check off before everyone’s comfortable with me going out there,” Tucker said via Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (subscription required). “Myself, the coaching staff, training staff and everyone, we just got to work through that the next couple days and try to get back out there as soon as possible.”

Tucker, who missed the celebration in Pittsburgh after leaving for Florida, also explained his trip to down South and said that while he didn’t want to have to go, he felt it was his best chance of getting back on the field to accomplish the larger goal.

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“I didn’t really want to leave the team,” he said. “I was just trying to work with some guys that I’ve known for 10 years that probably know my body better than I do. It was good. I’m excited to be back here and play out the rest of this year…Hopefully, we can have a lot more of those kinds of celebrations, and I’ll be here.”

That of course certainly sounds like he believes he will get back on the field, but with an injury that has been this tricky, you just cannot know. Fortunately for Chicago, even if he can’t get at-bats before the playoffs, Tucker has a history of returning from injury and immediately playing well.

Tucker Returned From IL Last Year and Immediately Got Hot

Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

In September of 2024, Tucker played 18 games after missing a huge chunk of the year for the Houston Astros with a shin issue. Returning to the lineup without a rehab assignment, he instantly slashed .365/.453/.587 with four home runs and nine RBI.

Should he be able to come back and play in the Wild Card round next week, that kind of production — or really even anything close to it — would provide this lineup with an indescribably massive boost. With a demonstrated history of getting hot right after a lengthy absence, Cubs fans should feel great about the possibility.

As long as he can get on the field and actually is healthy, Tucker is very clearly extremely capable of changing this lineup’s outlook completely.

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