Carpenter went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI in Saturday's victory over Colorado. He also walked.
Carpenter doubled home Jake Cronenworth and Juan Soto to give the Padres a 4-0 lead in the second inning. The 37-year-old has already driven in three runs in 2023, and he should continue to see plenty of playing time against right-handed pitching as the designated hitter.
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Padres' Matt Carpenter: Sitting versus lefty
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Carpenter is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Rockies, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
After getting the Opening Day start Thursday, the lefty-hitting Carpenter will take a seat Friday against Kyle Freeland. Nelson Cruz will take his place as San Diego's designated hitter Friday, and Cruz likely will do so against lefty starters for the rest of the season.
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Padres' Matt Carpenter: Likely to split time at DH
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Carpenter and Nelson Cruz will likely share DH duties this season, Jeff Snider of SI.com reports.
Carpenter and Cruz are both newcomers to the Padres this season, and they form a natural platoon pair with the former being a left-handed batter and the latter batting from the right side of the plate. Carpenter has also been playing first base this spring, per Jack Magruder of MLB.com, so he figures to get additional at-bats by occasionally starting at that position. San Diego will be hoping that the veteran can recapture some of the magic that led Carpenter to a huge bounce-back campaign with the Yankees last season, when he slashed .305/.412/.727 with 15 homers and 37 RBI over just 154 plate appearances.
Carpenter signed a one-year deal with the Padres on Tuesday which includes a player option for a second season, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.
After producing a below-average batting line in three consecutive seasons, Carpenter rebounded to hit .305/.412/.727 for the Yankees last season, albeit in just 47 games. A repeat of those fantastic numbers this season would be a surprise, though his dramatic improvement wasn't entirely a fluke, as he trimmed his strikeout rate by over eight points to 22.7 percent and posted a 13.7 percent barrel rate. The veteran should be able to help out at all four corner spots if needed but appears to have a path to playing time as the team's primary designated hitter, though that could still change with future offseason moves.
Carpenter (foot) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
Manager Aaron Boone said he sees Carpenter as a "big bat off the bench," Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports. The 36-year-old recorded a whopping 1.139 OPS in 2022, but he has been held out of action since Aug. 8. So, while Carpenter may not be used in an on-field role, it's reasonable to expect him to be used in a few pinch-hit scenarios throughout the Yankees' playoff run.
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Yankees' Matt Carpenter: Still on track for ALDS
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Carpenter (foot) feels ready for the upcoming ALDS against Cleveland and will get another workout in Sunday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
The timeline hasn't changed for Carpenter, who remains on track to return in time for the American League Divisional Series after suffering a fractured foot Aug. 8 against Seattle. Per Hoch, Carpenter has already been hitting and running the bases, and he's set for a few more at-bats and a workout at first base Sunday. The veteran slugger fully expects to be available for Game 1 on Tuesday.
Manager Aaron Boone said Thursday he expects Carpenter (foot) to be on the Yankees' roster for the start of the ALDS next week, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.
The 36-year-old was transferred to the 60-day injured list over the weekend but will apparently be ready to go for Game 1 of the ALDS on Tuesday. Carpenter had a resurgent campaign in limited chances for the Yankees and produced a .205/.412/.727 slash line with 15 home runs, 37 RBI and 28 runs in only 154 plate appearances.
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Yankees' Matt Carpenter: Won't return in regular season
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Carpenter (foot) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Sunday, meaning he won't be activated before the end of the regular season.
He could still possibly return in the postseason if the Yankees make a deep run. Carpenter could get at-bats in Somerset in the meantime, though he is still walking around with a limp, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
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Yankees' Matt Carpenter: Takes batting practice Friday
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Carpenter (foot) took batting practice on the field and hit in the cage Friday, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.
Carpenter has been working on weight-bearing activities on his fractured foot recently and hasn't had any issues. It's still possible that the 36-year-old rejoins the Yankees for their upcoming series against the Rangers to close out the regular season, but manager Aaron Boone also hinted Friday that Carpenter could ultimately head to Somerset to take live at-bats ahead of postseason play. Regardless of whether Carpenter is back in action during the final series of the regular season, it seems likely that he'll be in the mix for a postseason return.
Manager Aaron Boone said he is hopeful Carpenter (foot) could return during the team's final series against Texas, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Boone went on to say that the Yankees are "still a ways away from having an idea if that's going to be possible or not." Carpenter has been held out of action since the beginning of August with a fracture in his left foot. If he's unable to make it back for the end of the regular season, there is still a solid chance he can return to New York's lineup at some point during its playoff run.
