This story was excerpted from Jason Beck’s Tigers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
DETROIT -- The Tigers have been seeking the big hit for much of the last few weeks as Detroit struggles through its first legitimate slump of the season. The man behind many of their biggest hits from last season, meanwhile, is trying to work his way back into the lineup.
With Kerry Carpenter on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo and getting his ailing right hamstring back into game shape, help could be on the way in the coming days.
“He’s doing well,” manager A.J. Hinch said of Carpenter, who had Thursday off after playing as the designated hitter for the Mud Hens on Tuesday before starting in right field on Wednesday. “It’s funny what baseball does to you when you have time off, whether it’s calibrating [your] body, mind, eyes. Just getting back into the swing of things is important for him.”
The Tigers have been deliberate in their rehab work with Carpenter, who went 1-for-7 with a single through his first two games for the Mud Hens. There’s good reason behind their caution. Carpenter missed a day or two with hamstring issues in May, had a three-homer game on June 2, then struggled through the next few weeks. He seemed back to normal with three homers in a five-game stretch when he aggravated his hamstring trying to leg out a triple on June 29.
The Tigers want to make sure his hamstring is no longer an issue when he returns. They also want to give him every chance to come back swinging like he’s capable of.
“Specifically with Kerry, the timing mechanism at the plate is going to be really important,” Hinch said. “He’s physically cleared to do everything. He’s running fine. … He’ll be back in the outfield [Friday], kind of building his tolerance and his timing mechanism.”
Carpenter is expected to remain on assignment into the weekend, hopefully building towards a full game in the field. As much as the Tigers could use him in the lineup against a formidable trio of Blue Jays right-handed starters in José Berríos, Kevin Gausman and Max Scherzer, they need Carpenter back at full strength and ready for the stretch run, particularly with an equally important home series against the Diamondbacks starting Monday.
Once Carpenter returns, the lineup will begin to take a familiar shape. Carpenter will mix in at DH and both right and left field to allow Riley Greene to get a day here and there at DH. Zach McKinstry can look into more time on the left side of the infield, and Matt Vierling can move around from the outfield corners to some center field and third base.