Bench Kyle Tucker? Why Dodgers plan to ride or die with him instead

CINCINNATI –– With his already career-worst season reaching nightmarish new depths, Kyle Tucker was pulled aside recently by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.The topic of conversation: The $240 million outfielder’s playing time over the rest of the season.Externally, of course, calls had been mounting for Tucker to be platooned, if not outright benched, as his numbers continued to plummet amid an ongoing second-half slump.Internally, however, the Dodgers had decided to double down on their faith in this offseason’s marquee free-agent signing.Thus, the message Roberts delivered was simple.“I told him, I’m gonna ride or die with him,” Roberts shared this weekend.In that exact phrasing?“I did,” Roberts joked.“That was my young term phrase.”On this day, Roberts had reason to laugh.

The previous two games, Tucker had finally offered signs of life at the plate, posting back-to-back performances with three hits and a home run.Over the last week, Dodgers hitting coaches believed they had finally found a breakthrough with the left-handed slugger’s swing, one that (at least temporarily) cleaned up some mechanical flaws that had hampered him all year.Alas, in Tucker’s 2026 campaign, no turnaround was ever going to be that simple.Over the two games since, he has gone 0-for-8 again, including a strikeout with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth on Sunday.

On the season, his numbers remain unthinkably disappointing, with a batting average of .226, an OPS of .692 and an almost negligible 0.3 mark in wins above replacement.At this point, it is all adding up to a lost season for the 29-year-old, who is threatening to become one of the biggest free-agent flops in at least the sport’s recent high-priced history.And yet, the Dodgers aren’t wavering from their commitment to keep playing the four-time All-Star, rolling the dice “talent level” and “proven track record,” as Roberts cited, by keeping him in the lineup for the long haul.“I was prepa...