The Chicago Cubs outfield, which was considered to have a lineup above league average until the beginning of the season, has been struggling with injuries since the beginning of the season. First of all, two key players are not on the roster right now.
Seiya Suzuki, who was expected to explode in his third year in the Major League, and Cody Bellinger, who returned from the Cubs last year and signed a free agent contract, were out due to injuries one after another. Suzuki is in the process of returning after being placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique injury on April 16. Cody Bellinger, who suffered a rib fracture while defending, was also listed on the 10-day injured list on the 25th.
Suzuki is preparing to return, but Bellinger’s absence is expected to last quite some time, so a savior is poised to emerge. The main character is Mike Touchman, 34, who started the season as the team’s backup outfielder. Touchman, who has been increasing the frequency of starts since Suzuki’s injury, has been hitting hard recently to fill the gap between the two players.
In this year’s 21 games, Tuckman has shown stellar performance with a batting average of 0.298, a on-base percentage of 0.437, a slugging percentage of 0.491, two homers, seven RBIs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 0.928. Although he is not a typical homerun batter, he has shown strong performance by hitting a lot of doubles and striking out good walks this year. Since Suzuki’s absence, he has also shown impressive performance. Tuckman has been receiving cheers from local fans for his fantastic performances with a batting average of 0.450, two homers, five RBIs and an OPS of 1.410 in the last seven games.
Taukman, who we are familiar with while playing for Hanwha for a year in 2022, made his Major League debut in 2017 and played a total of 386 games. He became a bench member of the team when he was a New York Yankees player, drawing attention for his hustle play. After failing to renew his contract with Hanwha, he decided to return to the US and signed a minor league contract with the Cubs ahead of the 2023 season.
Although he was under a minor league contract, he made the Major League roster for his usefulness, solidifying his position by playing in 108 games last year. He also made Hanwha fans upset by posting a batting average of 0.252, an on-base percentage of 0.363, eight homers and 48 RBIs. He has been active as a starter this year as his offense has improved and his defense has been recognized to some extent. Even if Bellinger’s absence is prolonged, the Cubs have an insurance policy on his chin.
Tuckman had two home runs against Houston on the 24th, recorded one hit and one walk from three times at bat on the 25th, and recorded one hit and three walks from five times at bat on the 26th to get on base 100 percent, increasing his on-base percentage to 0.437. It seems clear that this is the most sensuous time since his return to the Major League. Even if Suzuki returns, he can expect to increase his participation in the starting lineup.
Tuckman will be eligible for salary adjustment at the end of the 2024 season. Tuckman’s salary last year was the lowest in the Major League, but he renewed his contract ahead of this year and received $1.95 million. It was a difficult amount to earn in the KBO league. If you only adjust your current performance and salary, you can expect an annual salary of more than $3 million. Tuckman’s decision to return to the MLB after rejecting Hanwha’s offer to renew his contract turned out to be a success.
link: 먹튀검증