Samantha Tucker Opens Up On Kyle Tucker’s Injury Frustrations, Getting Support From the Astros Wives and Giving Back to Houston Hospice

Samantha Tucker knows how hard Kyle Tucker’s extended absence from the Houston Astros’ lineup is on him. She sees what others don’t — what her husband is going through every day as he works (and sometimes struggles) to recover from his serious shin injury.

“It’s definitely been hard for sure,” Samantha Tucker tells PaperCity. “But I know that he has such great support behind him. From the team. From his teammates. Having that support, he has also has the support of teammates who’ve gone through injuries who can be like, ‘This is what it might look like. It might take a couple of extra weeks. This is what your rehab might look like.’ ”

Samantha and Kyle Tucker have known each other for a long time, going to high school together in Florida and dating officially for nine years before getting married last January. They’re a young couple in love, navigating their first baseball season as husband and wife while trying to do good in the community. They’re also dealing with an injury that has sidelined Kyle Tucker since June 3, abruptly halting an MVP-level start for the Astros’ 27-year-old outfielder.

That’s a new world too with the durable Tucker having played 157, 150 and 140 games over the last three seasons. Tucker started sprinting in a straight line for the first time Tuesday in Philadelphia, trying to make a forward step in his comeback stick.

“From my perspective, the (Astros) wives have been helping me as well, to navigate this new life on the injured list,” Samantha Tucker tells PaperCity. “But he’s getting there. He’s still able to travel with the team which is nice. He’s still able to be with the team.”

The Astros rolling off wins, coming from behind in the standings to build a three and a half game lead in the American League West, has been another salve for Kyle Tucker. Somehow, thanks to their overall pitching excellence, Alex Bregman’s resurgence, Jose Altuve’s ever-lasting brilliance and heart, and Yainer Diaz’s star turn, the Astros boasted the best record in baseball since Tucker limped out of the lineup until losing six of their last eight to let the Diamondbacks pass them for that distinction.

“Just watching the team do so well, even though he’s not on field, it helps him kind of take a little bit of the pressure off,” Samantha Tucker says. “Even though he’s trying to get back on the field as quickly as he can.”

Samantha Tucker credits Lance McCullers Jr. and Kara McCullers in particular with helping the young couple come to grips with things. The McCullers also gave the Tuckers advice on starting a charitable foundation and the Kyle Tucker Foundation is doing more and more in the community. The Tuckers hosted an event for Houston Hospice at a recent home game, with Kyle Tucker meeting with hospice workers and their families, shining a light on an issue that young people rarely think about.

“I told him this,” MD Anderson Cancer Center doctor Paul Mansfield says of Tucker. “I’ve been in medicine for 40 years and that kind of forward thinking is extraordinary.”

“It’s definitely been hard for sure. But I know that he has such great support behind him. From the team. From his teammates.” — Samantha Tucker on her husband Kyle Tucker’s injury.

Why the Tuckers Chose Hospice Care

Kyle Tucker and Samantha Tucker decided to make hospice care one of their causes after seeing how much it helped their family when Kyle’s beloved grandfather was dying during the 2021 playoffs, passing away during the Astros run to the World Series.

“We’d been talking about building a foundation for a couple of years,” Samantha Tucker says. “We wanted something unique. . . So when Kyle’s grandfather did go through hospice that kind of led towards, ‘Let’s do hospice. Let’s see where this can grow.’ ”

It’s growing into a push that is making hospice workers feel heard. End of life care is not always pretty and it requires compassionate caregivers who put the patients and their families first.

“There are a lot of frontline caregivers and it’s underappreciated what that means in our society,” says Mansfield, whose own father died peacefully in hospice care. “Cleaning somebody up who can’t control themselves anymore as far as bowel movements. And doing that in a way that is respectful and has dignity. Those are hard things and for them to be able to step away from that with an experience like this is special.

“You kind of feel like a celebrity out here.”

Mansfield looks around The Field Club, the attendant-manned, sunken space that puts about 100 people at field level. The outfield grass is just beyond the fence, offering a very unique view of a game. Kyle Tucker stopped by to meet with the doctors, hospice caregivers and their families. He posed for numerous photos and impressed Mansfield with some of the questions he asked.

“I think my favorite part so far is watching Kyle come out to the field,” Samantha Tucker says. “And him standing around and asking questions and answering questions for a little bit was great. And then watching the people come back in with the biggest smile on their faces. Seeing that admiration and excitement to be here, but also to see Kyle, has been great.”

Wearing a simple black long summer dress, Samantha Tucker stays in The Field Club, continuing to connect with Houston Hospice representatives, doctors and caregivers long after Kyle Tucker has to return to the dugout for the actual game. She seems at ease in this environment, introducing herself to people and asking about what they do in hospice.

This is anything but someone just making a token charity appearance.

“Sam is a driving force,” says Chris Heran, the senior president of the Athletes and Causes Foundation, which helps manage the Kyle Tucker Foundation. “She helped organize everything today. She’s out here the entire day to talk to the doctors and all that.”

Samantha Tucker’s Driving Care

If the Kyle Tucker Foundation is going to support a cause, Samantha Tucker wants to make sure it counts. That real effort is put into it. That’s how she was brought up in Tampa.

“Especially from a young age, I’ve always volunteered,” Samantha Tucker says. “My parents have always ingrained in me to give back to our community in any way we can. Through time. Through items. So when Kyle brought it to my attention a few years ago that he also wanted to support something, I was like, ‘Absolutely. Where can we start? What can we do?’

“Because we both want to give back to the community now that we can.”

Giving back through hospice care is something that’s unexpected for a 27-year-old professional athlete who’s often seemed on the cusp of superstardom. Count Houston Hospice’s leaders among those surprised.

“We were not only pleased, but it tugged at our hearts that he would consider this,” Houston Hospice board member Sue Stiles White says. “There are certainly more glamorous avenues. Sometimes people are reticent to talk about end of life care or don’t want to think about it.

“So for someone as young as Kyle and his wife to embrace this is very special.”

Kyle and Samantha Tucker want to be a big part of the Houston community. And Kyle Tucker is still determined to be a big part of this Astros’ season.