Kerry

Carpenter

Carpenter had started baseball activities, but is now on rest and rehab. Consider this a setback in his return. Carpenter has been on the injured list with a lumbar injury since the end of May. He hit .283 with eight home runs and 29 RBI in 50 games this season.

Hinch also noted that the progress is still slow for Carpenter as he works his way back from the lumbar injury that has sidelined the 26-year-old since the end of May. The outfielder will surely need a rehab assignment after missing over a month, but it’s feasible that Carpenter could help fantasy rosters and Detroit after the All-Star break.

The 26-year-old slugger will need at least a couple of weeks to ramp back up and will require a minor league rehab assignment before he’s ready to return to the Tigers’ lineup. If all goes well and he’s able to avoid any setbacks, we could see him back in the Olde English D right after the All-Star break. Before landing on the injured list, Carpenter was hitting .283/.342/.572 with eight homers and 29 RBI in his first 50 ballgames.

The Tigers haven’t provided any timetable for Carpenter’s return, but Carpenter said he was told he’d need three and a half to four weeks of total rest before resuming baseball activities. He’s a bit more than halfway there now.

Carpenter continues to undergo treatment after being diagnosed last month with a lumbar spine fracture. The fact that he hasn’t been cleared to resume baseball activities indicates that he’s not close to returning at this juncture. Fantasy managers probably shouldn’t expect him back until after next month’s All-Star break.

No word yet on an updated timeline, but there are rumblings that the 26-year-old slugger is going to miss at least a couple of months. That would be a devastating blow to the middle of the Tigers’ lineup, as Carpenter as been the team’s best hitter through the first two months of the season.

Carpenter’s back has been bothering him since the weekend, though the Tigers made no mention of it until today. It’s a big loss for the Tigers, as Carpenter has been easily the team’s best hitter (.283/.342/.572 in 163 PA). They’ll probably give Mark Canha a fair amount of DH time in the coming weeks and use Matt Vierling pretty regularly in the outfield, with Andy Ibáñez picking up some extra starts at third.

With southpaw Yusei Kikuchi on the mound, Carpenter will get a day of rest Sunday after homering in Saturday’s victory. Wenceel Perez will get the start in right field. Colt Keith also is getting the day off with Andy Ibanez starting at second base.

Carpenter took José Berríos deep for a two-run shot in the first inning to put the Tigers on the board. He then knocked a base hit in the fourth, but was caught stealing second. The two runs would be all the Tigers needed to take the win against the Blue Jays. The 26-year-old outfielder is having an excellent season, slugging eight homers with 29 RBI while slashing .285/.340/.576 across 161 plate appearances.

Carpenter chased Blue Jays’ starter Alek Manoah from the ballgame with his 410-foot (106.3 mph EV) two-run blast in the fifth inning that increased the Tigers’ advantage to 6-0. He also drew a walk in the fourth inning and scored on a ground ball off the bat of Zach McKinstry. Carpenter finished the night 1-for-3 and is now hitting .277/.333/.553 with his seven long balls and 27 RBI.