Carpenter (foot) will pause his rehab program after suffering a setback, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Carpenter will have his foot partially immobilized for the next few days, by which time his rehab will resume based on his symptoms. The 28-year-old is recovering from plantar fasciitis in his right foot that caused him to go on the 10-day IL in late July. The Tigers should have a better idea of Carpenter's new return timeline once he's cleared to resume baseball activities.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Sent to foot specialist
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Tigers manager AJ Hinch said Monday that Carpenter has been sent to a foot specialist, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
The results of Carpenter's evaluation will come out Tuesday, but it's not a great sign as 28-year-old continues to rehab from right foot plantar fasciitis that landed him on the 10-day injured list in late July. In Carpenter's absence, the Tigers have rotated between Colt Keith, Dillon Dingler, Eduardo Valencia and Gleyber Torres at designated hitter.
The Tigers announced Friday that Carpenter (foot) has begun a full progression of hitting, running and playing defense, MLB.com reports.
Carpenter received a cortisone injection July 28 to address right foot plantar fasciitis, and the shot appears to have yielded the desired effect. The 29-year-old has been fitted for orthotic shoes with the hope that it will combat future foot problems as he begins ramping back up for a return from the injured list. Carpenter could be ready to rejoin the Tigers by next weekend if all goes well during his upcoming workouts, though the club may prefer to send him out on a brief minor-league rehab assignment prior to activating him.
Carpenter (foot) received a cortisone injection Tuesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
The 28-year-old landed on the injured list Monday with left foot plantar fasciitis and didn't waste much time before getting treatment. Plantar fasciitis often carries a lengthy recovery timeline, but it's possible Carpenter's situation is more of an issue of pain tolerance, at least in the short term.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Shelved by plantar fasciitis
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The Tigers placed Carpenter on the 10-day injured list Monday with left foot plantar fasciitis.
He exited Sunday's game versus the Royals with what was initially referred to as an aggravation of a bruised right heel, but after being evaluated further, Carpenter has been tagged with a plantar fasciitis diagnosis. It's an injury with the potential to lead to a lengthy absence, though it could be a pain tolerance issue for Carpenter. Matt Vierling, Hao-Yu Lee and Eduardo Valencia are candidates for more reps for the Tigers while Carpenter is out.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Not starting Monday
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Carpenter (heel) is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Orioles.
Carpenter will need at least one day off after he was lifted following the fourth inning of Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Royals due to right heel discomfort. Per MLB.com, Carpenter had recently been playing through a painful bruise on the same foot, which was caused by a pair of new cleats. Carpenter was set to undergo a more thorough evaluation of his heel Monday, and the Tigers are classifying him as day-to-day for the time being.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Makes early exit Sunday
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Carpenter was lifted from Sunday's game against the Royals after four innings due to an apparent injury, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports. He went hitless in two at-bats prior to his departure.
The Tigers should provide an explanation for Carpenter's early exit later Sunday, but McCosky notes that the 28-year-old appeared to be in some discomfort following a swing in the bottom of the fourth. Carpenter had previously sat out a game Tuesday due to a bruised heel, though it's unclear if his removal from Sunday's contest is related to that injury.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Launches grand slam Saturday
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Carpenter went 2-for-4 with a grand slam in Saturday's 8-6 loss to the Astros.
The 28-year-old slugger came to the plate with the bases loaded in the third inning and got hold of a hanging curveball from Kai-Wei Teng, depositing it in the right-field seats. It was Carpenter's 12th homer of the year and, remarkably, the first grand slam of the season for the Tigers. Carpenter's gone yard in back-to-back games, and over 22 contests in June he's batting .234 (15-for-64) with seven long balls and 18 RBI.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Taking seat against lefty
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Carpenter isn't starting for Detroit in Saturday's matchup versus the Guardians.
Carpenter has only 12 plate appearances against southpaws this season and has gone 1-for-10, so it's not surprising that he's beginning on the bench versus Cleveland lefty Joey Cantillo. Wenceel Perez is drawing the start in right field in Carpenter's stead Saturday.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Faces live pitching Wednesday
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Carpenter (shoulder) hit in a simulated game Wednesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Carpenter took at-bats against fellow rehabber Justin Verlander (hip) in what was his first time facing live pitching since he went down with an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder in early May. A rehab assignment appears imminent for the 29-year-old Carpenter.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Could face live pitching Wednesday
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Carpenter (shoulder) could be cleared to take live batting practice Wednesday, MLB.com reports.
Carpenter was able to shag flyballs and take some swings in the batting cage Tuesday as part of his return-to-play progression and could take another step forward Wednesday. He's been on the shelf since May 10 due to an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder and may require a rehab assignment prior to being activated.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Enters contest, goes deep in loss
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Carpenter went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Friday's 9-8 loss to the Reds.
Carpenter began this game on the bench, with Jahmai Jones getting the start to face Cincinnati lefty Andrew Abbott. The Tigers turned to Carpenter as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning, and he ultimately launched his sixth home run of the season in the eighth. The 28-year-old outfielder is once again providing good pop with an .821 OPS through 24 games, and he's currently on pace to surpass last year's career-high total of 26 home runs if he stays healthy.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Tees off in win
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Carpenter went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Brewers.
Carpenter launched his fifth home run of the season in the eighth inning, and he's starting to heat up after a slow start to the year. The 28-year-old has three long balls across his last eight games, and he's batting .263 during that stretch. Carpenter was hitting just .200 with two home runs in 14 games before the recent power surge. He clubbed a career-high 26 homers during the 2025 regular season, and the outfielder remains a great offensive threat against right-handed pitching.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Socks third homer in win
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Carpenter went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Sunday's 8-2 win over the Marlins.
Carpenter mashed his third homer of the campaign Sunday, taking Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara deep in the sixth inning. The lefty-swinging slugger went just 2-for-19 in March, but he's starting to pick up some momentum in April. Over his last 29 at-bats, Carpenter is batting .276 with four extra-base hits, eight RBI and four walks.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Homers again Sunday
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Carpenter went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and a walk in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Cardinals.
Carpenter stayed hot at the plate, launching his second home run of the season, a 425-foot two-run shot off Kyle Leahy to put Detroit on the board. After driving in just one run over his first seven games, the 28-year-old has now homered in back-to-back contests and has five RBI in those two games. Despite the recent surge, Carpenter is still slashing just .194/.297/.387 with a 5:15 BB:K, leaving room for improvement as the season progresses.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: To see more work against lefties?
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Carpenter only logged 60 at-bats against left-handed pitchers last season, but he could see more opportunities in 2026, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Carpenter is just a .207 career hitter against lefties in the regular season, and he batted .217 (13-for-60) with 14 strikeouts against same-handed pitching last year, though three of those hits left the yard. It's that power potential that could keep the 28-year-old on the field against southpaws, and he's been an elite offensive weapon against righties throughout his career. When the Tigers do decide to bench Carpenter against lefties, Jahmai Jones, Matt Vierling and Austin Slater are among the top options to receive at-bats. More playing time against southpaws could raise Carpenter's fantasy ceiling in 2026, at least in terms of home runs and other counting stats, though his batting average may suffer.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Gets deal for 2026
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Carpenter agreed to a one-year, $3.275 million contract with the Tigers on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Carpenter didn't maintain the same efficiency in 2025 (.788 OPS) that he displayed during his injury-plagued 2024 campaign (.932), but he still managed to set a career high with 26 homers last year while driving in 62 runs and scoring 66. The 28-year-old outfielder holds value as a home-run threat against right-handed pitchers but is likely to ride the bench when matched up against most lefty starters.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Belts 26th home run Tuesday
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Carpenter appeared as a pinch hitter and went 1-for-1 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-5, 10-inning loss to the Guardians.
Carpenter didn't get the start with Cleveland sending lefty Joey Cantillo to the mound, but the former still managed to have an impact. Appearing as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Detroit outfielder went deep to tie the game at 3-3 and force extra innings. Carpenter has been in a nice power groove recently with four long balls in his last 10 games, and he's already set a new career high with 26 home runs this season.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Homers off bench Wednesday
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Carpenter went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 11-1 win over the Yankees.
Carpenter began the game on the bench with New York starting lefty Carlos Rodon, but the former entered the game in the seventh inning and made his mark late. The Detroit outfielder has gone deep twice in his last five games, and he's up to 24 home runs for the season. That's a new career high for Carpenter, and he's five RBI from tying his career high in that category, which is 64.
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Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Mashes 22nd homer
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Carpenter went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks Saturday in an 8-5 win against Minnesota.
Carpenter smacked the only long ball of the contest, going deep to right-center field in the third inning. It was the outfielder's 22nd homer of the season, which has already established a career-high mark. Carpenter had an IL stint due to a hamstring injury in July that cost him nearly a month of action, so his home-run total has come in just 96 contests. On the campaign, his 14.68 HR/AB ranks 15th among MLB players with at least 100 plate appearances.
