Chicago Cubs star outfielder Kyle Tucker left Sunday’s home game against the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth inning and later was diagnosed as having a jammed right ring finger. He’s considered day to day.

X-rays were negative.

“I feel all right,” Tucker said after Chicago’s 7-3 victory. “The hand’s a little jammed, or a little swollen, but obviously we got our off day tomorrow, so hopefully it feels a little bit better once we get to Washington.”

If nothing else, Chicago dodged what could have been a significant injury.

“Not too concerned,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said afterward. “I’m optimistic this is going to be, at most, a day or two, as soon as some of the swelling goes down. It’s just a sprained finger. He took the second at-bat and it just was a little uncomfortable. So with the lead, we just got him out of there.”

Tucker suffered the injury in the first inning. He was hit on his right foot by a pitch from Reds starter Nick Martinez before being thrown out at second base attempting to steal. While sliding headfirst into second, his right hand got caught underneath him and his helmet came off, eventually causing a slight cut on the bridge of his nose. Tucker would initially remain in the game.

The caught-stealing halted a streak of 29 consecutive successful stolen bases for Tucker, which dated back to September 2023. He has 16 steals this season.

In the third inning, Tucker hit a ground-rule double on a ball that got stuck in the ivy in right field and later scored on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s single, the first of four runs the Cubs scored that inning to take a 4-0 lead. Tucker fouled out to catcher Tyler Stephenson to end the fourth inning before leaving the game.

Tucker is hitting .284 this season with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs. He’s a three-time All-Star.

–Field Level Media