The Astros have recalled outfielder Kyle Tucker from Triple-A Fresno, MLB.com has learned, with outfielder Jake Marisnick being optioned in a corresponding move. Tucker, the club’s top prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and the No. 8 overall, will bat seventh and play left field in Saturday’s game against the White Sox at Minute Maid Park.
“We want him to play,” Astros manager AJ Hinch said. “Obviously I’m going to mix him in and everybody on our team plays. There will be days that he plays, days that he’s off.”
The Astros have recalled outfielder Kyle Tucker from Triple-A Fresno, MLB.com has learned, with outfielder Jake Marisnick being optioned in a corresponding move. Tucker, the club’s top prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and the No. 8 overall, will bat seventh and play left field in Saturday’s game against the White Sox at Minute Maid Park.
“We want him to play,” Astros manager AJ Hinch said. “Obviously I’m going to mix him in and everybody on our team plays. There will be days that he plays, days that he’s off.”
Tucker, 21, is hitting .306/.371/.520 with 14 homers over 80 games with Fresno. He had one of the most productive Spring Trainings of any Astros player, hitting .409/.438/.818 with five homers in 44 at-bats over 20 games before being assigned to the Minor Leagues. With a crowded outfield in Houston, the club felt his development would best be suited by starting the season with Fresno, where he would get regular at-bats.
Video: Top Prospects: Kyle Tucker, OF, Astros
“He’s earned it,” Hinch said. “He’s played very well at Triple-A. He’s been pretty hot recently. We’ve liked his at-bats. We’ve always liked the impact potential. We have some at-bats open for the next nine days before the break, and he can impact us. He made a big impression in spring. He did his job in Triple-A. The next test for him is going to be the big leagues.”
In 2017, splitting time between Class A and Double-A in 2017, Tucker was named the Astros’ Minor League Player of the Year after slashing .274/.346/.528 with 25 homers, 90 RBIs, 33 doubles, five triples, 70 runs scored and 21 stolen bases in 120 games. He was one of just 10 Minor Leaguers with a 20-20 season (homers and steals) and at age 20, was the youngest Minor Leaguer since Javier Baez in 2013 to hit 20 homers, steal 20 bases and knock in 90 RBIs. Tucker also represented the Astros at the 2017 Sirius XM All-Star Futures Game, starting in right field and going 1-for-3 with an RBI. He also played for the Mesa club in last year’s Arizona Fall League that reached the title game.
Tucker, the brother of former Astros outfielder Preston Tucker, is among the last bluechip prospects drafted by the Astros in the top five overall as part of a massive rebuild that eventually culminated with last year’s World Series title. From 2012-15, first-round picks by Houston included Carlos Correa, Lance McCullers Jr. and Alex Bregman — key cogs in their pennant run.
“I think the first thing is he doesn’t have to be the guy,” Hinch said. “He’s going to come on to a really good team that has a really good offense. He’s had some guys that have paved the way for him in top prospect types like George Springer, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and an already established star in Jose Altuve. The list goes on. So I think him coming up on this team will ease a little bit of the burden to have to be the guy. But at the same time, his left-handed presence in our lineup will impact us.”
Tucker, a promising left-handed hitting outfielder with power, could be among the next wave of key contributors. Scouts have raved about his fit in the corner outfield with an above-average arm.
Marisnick has struggled to a .190/.235/.359 line through 68 games with the big league club. This will be his second stint in the Minors this season.
Brian McTaggart has covered the Astros since 2004, and for MLB.com since 2009. Follow @brianmctaggart on Twitter.
Be the first to comment