Carpenter may be squeezed from the Opening Day roster if the Tigers decide to keep Akil Baddoo, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Riley Greene and Austin Meadows are locked into starting roles, and Matt Vierling will likely make the roster as well after coming over in the offseason. That leaves Carpenter and Baddoo. Carpenter flashed some potential in 2022 with six home runs and a .795 OPS across 31 games, though Baddoo offers the speed and defense that teams often look for in fourth outfielders. Carpenter's fantasy value would take a hit in the short term if he starts the year in the minors, though he could earn MLB playing time down the road.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Hits second spring home run
Rotowire
Carpenter went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.
Carpenter led off and went deep in his second at-bat of the game in the third inning. The outfielder now has two home runs this spring as he makes a push for a roster spot. Carpenter had a nice MLB debut last year, recording six long balls and a .795 OPS across 31 games. Akil Baddoo, Riley Greene and Austin Meadows will likely start across the outfield to begin the season, but Carpenter could be a reserve option, and he also may see time at DH.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Could make Opening Day roster
Rotowire
Carpenter could have an inside track on an Opening Day reserve role with the Tigers, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Detroit added Matt Vierling and Nick Maton in the Gregory Soto deal, which adds more offensive players to the mix. However, Carpenter seems to still have a leg up after a solid MLB debut in 2022, when he popped six home runs and recorded a .795 OPS across 31 games. Carpenter may not be able to secure a starting role, though a spot as a reserve outfielder looks like a decent bet at this point. He may also see time at DH with veteran Miguel Cabrera likely to require plenty of rest days.
Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Should start hitting next month
Rotowire
Carpenter (back) is scheduled to begin his normal offseason hitting progression in December, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Assuming he experiences no setbacks in his recovery from a left lumbar spine strain once he starts hitting again later this winter, Carpenter should be back to 100 percent health well in advance of spring training. The 25-year-old pushed his way to the big leagues in the second half of this past season after mashing 30 home runs in the minors and acquitted himself well in his limited sample of MLB action. Over his 113 plate appearances, the rookie slashed .252/.310/.485 with 11 extra-base hits while maintaining walk and strikeout rates of 5.5 and 28.3 percent, respectively. Carpenter could end up settling in as the Tigers' primary designated hitter in 2023 if the team ends up keeping Miguel Cabrera in more of a part-time role, as was typically the case for the final two months of the 2022 campaign.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Ruled out for rest of season
Rotowire
Carpenter was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a left lumbar spine strain.
Carpenter, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com, injured his lower back during a pregame workout Thursday, and he will miss the rest of the season as a result. An MRI revealed no structural damage in Carpenter's back, so he should be back at 100 percent well in advance of spring training. The 25-year-old is one of Detroit's top prospects and posted a .795 OPS in his rookie season, so he could occupy a starting spot for the Tigers in 2023.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Sitting against righty
Rotowire
Carpenter is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Royals.
The lefty-hitting Carpenter finds himself on the bench for the second straight game, this time versus a right-hander (Jonathan Heasley) after he took a seat Wednesday against Royals lefty Daniel Lynch. Willi Castro will pick up another start in right field at Carpenter's expense.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Sits against southpaw
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Carpenter isn't in the lineup Wednesday against Kansas City.
Carpenter hasn't started against a left-hander since Sept. 9, and he'll get a breather with southpaw Daniel Lynch on the mound for the Royals on Wednesday. Willi Castro is starting in right field and batting sixth.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Riding pine Saturday
Rotowire
Carpenter isn't starting Saturday against the White Sox.
Carpenter started the last three games and went 3-for-10 with two solo home runs and two strikeouts. Willi Castro will take over in right field and bat sixth.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Homers again Wednesday
Rotowire
Carpenter went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-1 loss to Baltimore.
Carpenter left the yard for the second night in a row as he continues to heat up at the dish. He has hit safely in each of his last four games, improving his OPS 96 points to .868 in the process. He is slashing .275/.330/.538 with six home runs and 10 RBI since being called up Aug. 10.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Sitting Monday
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Carpenter isn't starting Monday against the Orioles.
Carpenter started the last two games and went 1-for-7 with an RBI, a walk and five strikeouts. He'll get a breather while Akil Baddoo starts in left field and bats ninth.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Rides bench Friday
Rotowire
Carpenter isn't starting Friday against the White Sox.
Carpenter will get a day off Friday after going 1-for-4 with two strikeouts Wednesday. Akil Baddoo will take his spot in left field and bat ninth.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Not starting Monday
Rotowire
Carpenter isn't in the lineup Monday versus Houston.
Carpenter takes a seat after going 6-for-15 with a pair of solo home runs in his last four games. Jeimer Candelario is the designated hitter Monday.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Launches solo home run
Rotowire
Carpenter went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 8-4 victory over the Royals.
Carpenter hit a solo shot in the second inning to put the Tigers on the board. It was his fourth homer since being called up on Aug. 10 and his second home run in three days. The rookie has two hits in each of his last three games, picking up four runs and two RBI in addition to his homers. During that span, Carpenter has raised his batting average from .259 to .284.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Hits key home run Wednesday
Rotowire
Carpenter went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and two runs scored in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Angels.
Carpenter tied the game with his ninth-inning home run, and a batter later, fellow rookie Ryan Kreidler put the Tigers up 5-4. Carpenter has been impressive with three home runs, six RBI, 10 runs scored and an .840 OPS across 18 games. With Detroit sitting at 52-85, Carpenter and other young players should continue to see regular playing time the rest of the year, so there is some fantasy appeal if he can stay hot.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Out of lineup Tuesday
Rotowire
Carpenter isn't in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Angels.
Carpenter will miss his second game in three days after going 0-for-3 Monday. Josh Lester will fill in as Detroit's designated hitter while he sits.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Not starting Sunday
Rotowire
Carpenter is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Carpenter started the past two games and will take a seat after going 1-for-7 with two strikeouts and a hit-by-pitch. Eric Haase will shift to designated hitter while Tucker Barnhart starts behind the plate.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Sits in series finale
Rotowire
Carpenter is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Mariners.
Carpenter will get a breather for the series finale after he started in each of the past three contests while going 6-for-12 with three extra-base hits, three runs and an RBI. Eric Haase will spell Carpenter as the Tigers' designated hitter.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Triples, scores Tuesday
Rotowire
Carpenter went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored in Tuesday's loss to the Mariners.
Carpenter's triple was his first at the MLB level, and the rookie added a single for good measure. After enduring an 0-for-14 slump, the outfielder is now 5-for-9 across his last two games. Carpenter is seeing regular playing time, and while he may have some ups and downs as a young player, he's shown flashes of potential.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Breaks slump with three hits
Rotowire
Carpenter went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI in Sunday's 9-8 win over the Rangers.
Carpenter came into Sunday having gone 0-for-14 with an RBI, a walk and four strikeouts over his last five games, and his playing time was beginning to dip as a result. However, the rookie outfielder snapped out of his slump with his second career three-hit effort. Carpenter may be fairly up-and-down the rest of the way as a player getting his feet wet in the majors.
