Tucker and Rushing get medical hope ahead of 7:05

Steady downpours at Target Field pushed Tuesday’s Dodgers–Twins first pitch back to 7:05 p.m., and with batting practice canceled, Dave Roberts delivered encouraging injury updates for Kyle Tucker and Dalton Rushing. Tucker was ruled out after lower back spasm

MINNEAPOLIS — Rain kept tapping the stadium roof at Target Field. and by the time Tuesday’s matchup with the Twins arrived. the schedule had already been nudged backward. The steady downpours forced the Dodgers and Twins to adjust their pregame routines. and with batting practice canceled and a rain delay in place. the scheduled first pitch slid to 7:05 p.m.

In that stretched window, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stepped in front of the questions and offered the only thing that matters in moments like this: clarity on two injuries that ended Monday’s series opener too quickly.

Kyle Tucker, the right fielder, exited Monday’s game after lower back spasms and was ruled out for Tuesday’s contest. The 29-year-old said he felt a little bit better ahead of the matchup, but even that improvement came with a familiar sting—rotating still caused some soreness.

Roberts framed the plan as cautious, not panicked. He described holding Tucker out for the remainder of the series in Minneapolis, with a potential return to the lineup on Friday in San Diego, after Thursday’s off-day.

“I think that the four days, with the off-day, would be a middle [route],” Roberts said. “And so hopefully he has taken advantage of this, obviously to get right, but also kind of a mental reset. Hopefully the four days will suffice.”

Whether Tucker avoids a longer absence still hinges on how his body responds next. Roberts said the team wants to see him resume baseball activities Wednesday. In the best-case scenario. Tucker would swing the bat “tomorrow and do some type of activity to go into the off-day.” If that doesn’t happen. Roberts indicated the decision-making gets tougher on Friday.

Tucker, for his part, didn’t sound like a player preparing for an injured list stint. “[I’m] pretty confident,” Tucker said about avoiding the IL. “I mean, I feel decent right now. Just have to see how tomorrow goes.”

The other concern carried a different kind of uncertainty. Dalton Rushing, the catcher, went through a second concussion evaluation pregame Tuesday. There was no immediate report from the team following the testing. Rushing told the organization he felt fine. and Roberts responded with a laugh that carried the blunt reality of how concussion checks work—self-assessments can only go so far.

“He said he’s good to go,” Roberts said. “So that doesn’t carry too much weight until I hear from the medical staff. But it is good to know that he said he’s good to go. My hope is that he’ll be available off the bench in some capacity [today].”

The sequence matters: Tucker’s status is already set for Tuesday. but the next 24 hours could decide how far this injury reaches. Rushing’s path is less straightforward, with his ability to contribute tonight resting on medical clearance after a second evaluation. In the middle of a rain-filled delay. that waiting is its own kind of pressure—because every hour in a lineup like this can either reopen a window or close it.

Kyle Tucker Dalton Rushing Dodgers Twins Target Field 7:05 p.m. injury updates lower back spasms concussion evaluation injured list