Kerry Carpenter's Injury Update: Good News for Detroit Tigers Outfielder Hamstring

Detroit Tigers Outfielder Kerry Carpenter has a "slight" hamstring problem; however, it doesn’t seem like he’ll need to be placed on the injured list.

Carpenter will not be part of the initial team for Monday's match against the San Diego Padres in Comerica Park.

We’ll handle this," said Tigers manager A.J. Hinch on Monday. "We’re planning to take it one day at a time with him and assess how he’s feeling each day. Both for his sake and ours, the test results were encouraging as they indicated only minor issues. However, since some concerns remain, we must proceed cautiously. That’s why he isn’t starting tonight’s game, but we will evaluate what contributions he can make later. I was relieved when we learned late yesterday that he won’t require an injury list placement. Seeing him move better today and perform a few activities has uplifted our spirits even more.

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Carpenter felt hamstring soreness in Sunday's 4-3 defeat in the extended game as the final match of the series against the Kansas City Royals .

During the game, Carpenter got his third hit when he hit a ground ball to first baseman Salvador Pérez. However, Perez mistakenly threw the ball to relief pitcher Daniel Lynch, who was attempting to cover the base. In total, Carpenter ended the game with three hits out of four at-bats and drove in one run.

After taking the hit, Carpenter stayed in the game and advanced to second base when Zach McKinstry drove him home with an RBI single, momentarily giving the Tigers a 3-2 advantage. In the top of the eighth inning, he took his position in left field but didn’t get a chance to handle any balls before being substituted as they entered the ninth inning.

WHAT AN ADDITION: The Detroit Tigers' shortstop, Trey Sweeney, is developing right before our eyes.

Before Sunday’s triple-threat showing, Carpenter had been batting .290 (20 for 69) with five home runs and 10 RBIs. This season, he has played in all games, mostly occupying one of the corner outfield spots or serving as the designated hitter.

The Tigers are already grappling with numerous injuries in the outfield. Center fielder Parker Meadows, Who restarted a throwing regimen this week? , stays sidelined until late May following placement on the 60-day injured list earlier in the season due to a nerve problem in his right bicep.

Fortunately, the update today indicated it wasn’t IL," Hinch stated. "That’s probably the silver lining here. However, as things stand now, nobody is thrilled about it. Missing out on our primary strategies—Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C—isn’t ideal. Yet, we’ll adapt to whichever approach we’re left with. We believe we still have enough to secure victory in today’s match using these alternative plans. Thus, we aim to be ready for all possibilities. Frankly, none of us were truly equipped to handle such an extensive list of injuries.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com . Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff

The article initially appeared in the Detroit Free Press. Kerry Carpenter injury update: Detroit Tigers receive positive news regarding outfielder's hamstring