Tucker went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a walk, five RBI and two additional runs Wednesday in Triple-A Round Rock's 20-12 loss to El Paso.

EDGE Analysis

The hot summer air of El Paso certainly helped Tucker, but the 22-year-old has been mashing even in the less hitter-friendly environments of the Pacific Coast League. With a 1.133 OPS over the last 10 games and a .925 mark on the season, Tucker is ready for another crack at major-league pitching, but the loaded Astros simply don't have an everyday spot for him in the outfield. Unless Houston loses a regular outfielder or two to injury, Tucker appears unlikely to receive a callup until rosters expand in September.

Tucker started at first base for Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday and went 0-for-4 with a walk for the Express.

EDGE Analysis

Tucker had been fielding groundballs at first base during his workouts over the past couple of weeks, and his start there Thursday signals the organization is serious about adding another position to his defensive portfolio. The Astros are thin at first base at the upper levels of the minors, particularly after they lost AJ Reed to the White Sox, so exposing Tucker to the position gives them another option. It also presents an opportunity for Tucker at the major-league level, where he's currently blocked at all three outfield positions and designated hitter. Tucker has a .922 OPS and .568 slugging percentage over 378 plate appearances at Round Rock after absorbing a horrible first month of the season (.165/.220/.388).

Tucker has been fielding groundballs during his workouts at Triple-A Round Rock over the past couple of weeks with the hope of increasing his positional versatility, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Tucker has appeared at first base in two games for Round Rock this season, but has yet to draw a start at the position. The Astros' decision to expose Tucker to first base isn't an indictment of his defense in the outfield. Instead, the 22-year-old's dalliance at the new position is simply a means of improving his chances of landing a role with the big club in the event a Houston infielder misses time due to injury. With a .934 OPS and 21-for-23 success rate on stolen-base attempts for Round Rock, Tucker doesn't have anything left to prove in the minors, but he may not find himself in Houston until rosters expand in September if the Astros' core regulars maintain their health. Tucker is blocked at designated hitter by Yordan Alvarez and in the corner-outfield spots by Josh Reddick and Michael Brantley.

Tucker was named the Player of the Month for the month of May in the Pacific Coast League, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Tucker slugged .741 with 11 home runs and 28 RBI over 108 at-bats during the month for Triple-A Round Rock. This comes after a wretched April when he hit just .165. He's had nearly 700 plate appearances at Triple-A and is positioning himself for a callup. That could happen later this summer, but for now, the Astros are content let him get everyday at bats for the Express.

Tucker is hitting .306/.385/.729 with 10 home runs and six steals (on six attempts) over his last 98 plate appearances for Triple-A Round Rock.

EDGE Analysis

Tucker got off to a really rough start through his first 14 games this season, hitting .106 with 14 strikeouts, but he has really heated up of late. His teammate, Yordan Alvarez, is also on fire, and both players are among the very best prospects to stash in redraft leagues. It is unclear exactly how the Astros will juggle their roster to make room for Tucker and Alvarez, but both are deserving of a promotion.

Tucker was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Tucker was expected to have at least an outside shot at a spot on the Opening Day roster, but he'll wind up being sent away more than two weeks before the start of the season. The young outfielder doesn't have a lot left to prove in the minors, having hit .332/.400/.590 in 100 Triple-A games last season, so it may not be long before he's back in the big leagues.

Tucker went 0-for-2 on Sunday against the Nationals and is hitting .333 (5-for-15) with one extra base hit, three RBI and five strikeouts over five spring games.

EDGE Analysis

Tucker has been unable to repeat the power show he put on during spring training last year when he launched five home runs and drove in 21 runs, but he's still a well regarded prospect whose .990 OPS at Triple-A Fresno in 2018 indicates he's ready for his next challenge. A brief encounter with major-league pitching did not go well last season (72 plate appearances, .430 OPS), so that may still sit in the mind of manager A.J. Hinch. The Astros could keep him down in the minors to get another year of service time out of him while Tony Kemp and Jake Marisnick handle the fourth and fifth outfielder jobs for the first two months of the season.

Tucker is expected to begin the 2019 campaign at Triple-A Fresno after the Astros signed outfielder Michael Brantley to a two-year, $32 million contract Monday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic Houston reports.

EDGE Analysis

Though he amassed 24 home runs and 20 stolen bases in just 100 games at Triple-A last season, Tucker fizzled across his three stints at the big-league level, hitting just .141 and reaching base at a .236 clip over 72 plate appearances. The small sample doesn't put much of a damper on Tucker's long-term outlook, but it may have partially factored into the Astros' decision to bring aboard a more established outfield option in Brantley. While Brantley's addition creates a temporary roadblock for Tucker, it's more likely the veteran is more of a long-term threat to corner outfielder Josh Reddick -- another lefty hitter like Tucker and Brantley -- who struggled mightily in 2018. If Reddick fails to produce against right-handed pitching early on during the upcoming season, the Astros probably won't hesitate to give Tucker another spin in an everyday role, as the 21-year-old seemingly has little left to prove in the minors at this point.

Manager A.J. Hinch informed Tucker on Sunday that he wouldn't be included on the Astros' American League Division Series roster, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Tucker went 1-for-4 while manning right field Saturday in the second half of the Astros' doubleheader with Orioles, marking just the second start for the outfielder since he was promoted from Triple-A Fresno on Sept. 16. Though he remains one of the top hitting prospects, Tucker scuffled in his MLB debut, managing only nine hits in 62 at-bats. He never had much of a case for a spot on the postseason roster with Marwin Gonzalez, George Springer and Josh Reddick all assured spots in the outfield and reserves Jake Marisnick (defense), Tony Kemp (plate discipline) and Myles Straw (baserunning) all possessing singular skills that might prove more useful off the bench than Tucker's all-around package.

Tucker was named the Minor League Player of the Year for the Astros organization, Reid Laymance of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

It's the second straight year that Tucker's earned the award. He hit .332/.400/.590 with 24 home runs at Triple-A Fresno. His introduction to MLB this season wasn't as smooth, but he'll get a chance to earn a starting outfield spot next spring.