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Tigers Announce Kerry Carpenter Injury Update Before Trade Deadline

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 12:15 PM ET

With nine days until the trade deadline, the Detroit Tigers’ most significant impending lineup upgrade could be a player they know all too well.

At least in this instance, we’re not talking about Arizona Diamondbacks slugger and former Tigers prospect Eugenio Suárez. Instead, the Tigers believe outfielder Kerry Carpenter will return from a right hamstring strain within the next week.

Carpenter last played for the Tigers on June 29, though he’s expected to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo this week.

“Everything is going really well,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters on Monday.

Carpenter hit the injured list batting .257 with 16 home runs, 32 RBIs, and a .780 OPS. His .494 slugging percentage trails only Riley Greene (.534) among full-time Tigers, though he’s walked seven times in 280 plate appearances. Incredibly, Carpenter was amid a 29-game walk-free streak before his injury.

A 2019 19th-round pick, Carpenter is a lifetime .271 hitter with 60 home runs and a .780 OPS in nearly 1,150 plate appearances.

The 60-41 Tigers would be the American League’s top playoff seed if the postseason began today. Only the Milwaukee Brewers (.600) have a higher winning percentage than the Tigers’ .594.

Although the Tigers hold a 10-game lead in the AL Central, they’re only 7-9 in July. Opponents have outscored the rising contenders 80-61, and the Tigers have managed just three runs in four second-half games.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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