Carpenter (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Toledo, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Carpenter has been on the shelf since late April due to a right shoulder strain and some subsequent complications, but he's ready again for live competition and could be back with the Tigers sometime next week. The 25-year-old had produced a respectable .744 OPS with four home runs through 20 games for Detroit prior to the IL stint.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Resumes hitting
Rotowire
Carpenter (shoulder) has resumed hitting in the cage and off a tee and is slated to start throwing later this week, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Carpenter had a setback with his right shoulder last week but is attempting to ramp things back up again. He's been sidelined since late April and it might be a push for him to make it back before the end of May.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Suffers minor setback
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Carpenter (shoulder) felt renewed discomfort while beginning tee work over the weekend, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
It's considered a minor setback and the hope is that Carpenter will be able to resume baseball activities following a brief shutdown period. He's scheduled to be reevaluated toward the end of this week. The 25-year-old has been on the injured list since April 29 because of a right shoulder strain.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Will start hitting over weekend
Rotowire
Carpenter (shoulder) continues to receive treatment and is expected to start a hitting progression this weekend, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Carpenter is dealing with a right shoulder sprain that has kept him out since the end of April. The outfielder/designated hitter may need a rehab assignment, but assuming the progress continues to be positive there's a good chance Carpenter is back in the lineup for Detroit at the end of next week.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: To IL with shoulder strain
Rotowire
Carpenter was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a right shoulder strain.
Carpenter robbed a home run from Ryan Mountcastle in Thursday's game, but he suffered the injury when crashing into the wall on the play. He will be eligible to return May 8, but it's unclear how serious the strain is. Javier Baez (hand) is starting at designated hitter in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Orioles. Detroit selected the contract of Andy Ibanez in a corresponding move.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Set for further evaluation
Rotowire
Carpenter will undergo tests to determine the severity of his shoulder injury, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Carpenter exited Thursday's game against the Orioles after robbing a home run and crashing into the fence in the sixth inning. Manager A.J. Hinch didn't provide a detailed update after the game, but he did confirm that Carpenter would undergo "a scan" to determine the severity of the issue.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Exits after robbing home run
Rotowire
Carpenter (shoulder) exited Thursday's game against the Orioles, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Carpenter robbed a home run from Ryan Mountcastle in the sixth inning and crashed into the wall in the process. After throwing the ball back to the infield, he dropped to a knee and rubbed his shoulder before exiting. It's unclear how serious the injury is, and he should be considered day-to-day for now. Tyler Nevin entered the game in Carpenter's place.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Clubs three-run homer
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Carpenter went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run during Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Brewers.
The 25-year-old started the scoring with a three-run blast off Eric Lauer during the second inning, ending a 0-for-12 slump which spanned the previous four games. Carpenter now has four home runs and eight RBI with a .210/.279/.468 slash line through 18 contests this season.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Sleeper hitters for Week 5 (April 24-30)
Rotowire
The playing time remains inconsistent and the supporting cast anemic, but Kerry Carpenter has shown good power between the majors and minors so far. The Tigers have six righties on the schedule, including some questionable types for the Orioles, which should help with the inconsistent playing time, at least.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Slugs walkoff homer Tuesday
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Carpenter went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBI in a 4-3 win over the Guardians during the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader.
The Tigers won their third straight game in walkoff fashion in the matinee, and it was Carpenter's turn to play hero -- after fouling off three straight 3-2 pitches, he took James Karinchak over the fence in right field for a game-winning solo shot. It was Carpenter's third homer of the season, and after going 0-for-4 in the nightcap, he's batting .238 (10-for-42) on the season with five RBI and six runs in 11 games.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Batting cleanup
Rotowire
Carpenter is starting in right field and batting cleanup for the Tigers on Tuesday in the first game of a doubleheader against the Guardians, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Carpenter is seeing regular duty versus righties as he alternates between designated hitter and the corner outfield spots. The 25-year-old has batted cleanup in six of his last seven starts.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Swats second homer
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Carpenter went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 7-6 extra-innings win over the Giants.
The game was all San Francisco in the early going aside from Carpenter's second-inning shot off Anthony DeSclafani, but the rest of Detroit's bats were able to get going in the later innings. Carpenter is batting just .212 (7-for-33) through 10 games, but those seven hits include three doubles and two homers.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Out against lefty
Rotowire
Carpenter isn't starting Friday against the Giants.
Carpenter and his .573 OPS against lefties since 2022 will begin Friday on the bench with Sean Manaea starting on the mound for the Giants. In his place, Miguel Cabrera will serve as Detroit's DH and bat seventh.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Hits first 2023 home run
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Carpenter went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 10-inning loss to the Blue Jays.
Carpenter's home run in the seventh inning with a runner on was his first of the season. The outfielder popped six long balls last year as a rookie and posted a solid .795 OPS across 31 games. Carpenter is seeing regular playing time against righties, with Matt Vierling a platoon option against southpaws.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Slides in at DH
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Carpenter is starting at designated hitter and batting fourth in Saturday's game against the Red Sox.
With Miguel Cabrera getting a day off, Carpenter takes over as the DH. The latter has been playing frequently in the early going against righties but sitting against southpaws. With righty Tanner Houck on the bump for Boston, Carpenter will get a chance to build on his .250/.357/.500 slash line across 12 at-bats.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Sits against southpaw
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Carpenter is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays.
With the Rays bringing a southpaw (Jeffrey Springs) to the hill for the second time in the series, the lefty-hitting Carpenter will take a seat after he went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs in Saturday's 12-2 loss. Platoon mate Matt Vierling will spell Carpenter in right field in the series finale.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Roster spot looks more secure
Rotowire
With the Tigers optioning Akil Baddoo to Triple-A Toledo on Monday, Carpenter has a clearer path to an Opening Day roster spot.
Carpenter and Baddoo were seemingly vying for a reserve outfielder role in camp, and for now, Carpenter is the last player standing. He showed flashes as a rookie in 2022 with a .795 OPS across 31 games while Baddoo struggled at the plate. Austin Meadows, Riley Greene and Matt Vierling seem likely to start in the outfield for Detroit, though Carpenter could earn himself more playing time as the season progresses.
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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
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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.
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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.
