Matt Carpenter's magical season just came to a screeching halt.
Carpenter fractured his left foot on Monday night in Seattle, the Yankees announced.
The 36-year-old fouled a ball off the top of his back foot during his first at-bat of the game against the Mariners, hobbling around near the batter's box before striking out on the next pitch. Starting at designated hitter, Carpenter didn't officially leave the game until two innings later when outfielder Tim Locastro came off the bench in the veteran's spot as a pinch hitter.
This injury news is a sobering development in what's been a special and resurgent season for Carpenter.
After the Cardinals elected not to bring the struggling left-handed hitter back for a 12th season, the slugger began this year with the Rangers and their Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock. Eventually, he returned to the open market, making one last effort to find a big-league opportunity. That's when the Yankees called, bringing him in on a Major League deal in late May.
Since then, Carpenter has been a wrecking ball offensively in a Yankees uniform. He entered play on Monday hitting .307/.414/.732 over 46 games, swatting 15 home runs with 37 RBI in just 127 at-bats.
When Carpenter signed with New York, he was poised to contribute off the bench, filling in as a designated hitter and corner infielder. He heads to the injured list now as a key contributor that's started in the middle of the Yankees' order on a daily basis, playing in the outfield routinely as a means to get his bat in the lineup.
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