# Kyle Tucker's Slow Start & Rookie Hitter Reviews

An episode of [Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1486883874), 22 Apr 2026, 1 h 06 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6818a1a4eb737caf8ca41879/e/69e9220c1ca78f715dd68ef5/media.mp3

Eno, Jed, and DVR dig into what the returns of injured stars Juan Soto and Zack Wheeler mean for their teams. Then, Kyle Tucker's sluggish start in LA and whether lingering injury effects might be to blame. Plus, a look at some of the most impressive rookie bats in the league right now -- including the swing-and-miss similarities of Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto as their big-league careers get underway. Rundown: 2:29 Juan Soto to Return on Wednesday 3:29 Zack Wheeler to Start on Saturday 8:26 Jackson Holliday Injury Setback 14:43 Kyle Tucker’s Struggles in LA 24:17 Rookie Review: Chase DeLauter 38:12 Rookie Review: Justin Crawford 49:31 Rookie Review: Sal Stewart 56:35 Rookie Review: Munetaka Murakami & Kazuma Okamoto Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social e-mail: ratesandbarrels@gmail.com Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris With: Jed Lowrie Editor: Jason Potere Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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