Tigers To Place Kerry Carpenter on IL

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Jul 1, 2025 - 20:30

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Tigers To Place Kerry Carpenter on IL originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Kerry Carpenter's place in the Detroit Tigers' lineup has remained steady for most of the last two-plus seasons.

When he's been healthy.

The 27-year-old outfielder played in just 87 games for the Tigers last year and had nearly matched that so far this season, playing in 78 of Detroit's 85 games through Monday night, Carpenter will now hit the injured list.

The Tigers will place Carpenter on the IL on Tuesday with a hamstring injury after he aggravated the back of his right leg on Sunday against the Twins. Manager A.J. Hinch told MLB Network that Carpenter had been dealing with the aggravation for a several weeks.

Carpenter slashed to a mark of .257/.285/.494 through 280 plate appearances in 2025. And while the numbers were a drop from last year's .284/.345/.587, the former 19th-round pick remained a staple near the top of the Tigers' lineup.

Detroit Tigers right fielder Kerry Carpenter (30) grimaces in pain after sliding into third base with an RBI triple against the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning at Comerica Park. Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

His absence is absorbed a bit by the recent return of outfielder/third baseman Matt Vierling. Vierling had missed most of the season with a shoulder injury, but returned last week. He hit .257/.312/.423 last year and is expected to get some starts in Carpenter's stead.

In for Vierling, correspondingly, the Tigers are expected to recall shortstop Trey Sweeney, who was sent down to Triple-A Toledo when Vierling came off the IL. Sweeney was the team's starting shorstop until the end of May when ineffectiveness saw him cede a big chunk to a rejuvenated Javier Baez.

The Tigers enter Tuesday's games with a 52-32 record, best in the American League. They lead the AL Central over Cleveland Guardians, in second, by 11 1/2 games. Detroit is set to open a three-game series against the Washington Nationals in the nation's capital.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.