Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter has a “mild” hamstring issue but it does not appear that he will require a stint on the injured list.
Carpenter is not in the starting lineup for Monday’s game against the San Diego Padres in Comerica Park.
“We’ll manage it,” Tigers manager A.J. Hint said Monday. “I think we’re gonna just go day to day with him and see what he feels like. I think for him and for us, the tests were a good sign that it’s mild. Still, something’s there, so we have to be smart about it. It’s why he’s not in the lineup Monday and then see what he can give us. So happy to get the news last night that it wasn’t going to be an IL stint. Happier to see him moving around today, doing a few things and then, so we’ll gage what we can do for us.”
Carpenter felt hamstring soreness in Sunday’s 4-3 extra innings loss in the series finale against the Kansas City Royals.
Carpenter recorded his third hit of the game on a ground ball to first baseman Salvador Pérez, who errantly tossed the ball to reliever Daniel Lynch, who was trying to cover the bag. Carpenter finished the game 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Carpenter remained in the game after the hit, moving to second base on a Zach McKinstry RBI single that briefly gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead. He played in left field in the top of the eighth inning but did not have a ball come his way before subbing out entering the ninth inning.
Prior to Sunday’s three-hit performance, Carpenter was hitting .290 (20 of 69) with five home runs and 10 RBIs. He has made an appearance in every game this season, primarily playing one of the corner outfield positions or as the designated hitter.
The Tigers are already dealing with a host of injuries in the outfield. Center fielder Parker Meadows, who resumed a throwing program this week, remains out until late May after being placed on the 60-day IL before the season with a nerve issue in his right bicep.
“Thankfully, the news today was that it wasn’t IL,” Hinch said. “I think that’s the best part of the conversation. But it is what it is. I don’t love it. Nobody loves it. It doesn’t feel great knowing that you’re missing Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, but we’re going to go to whatever plan this is. We’re going to go with it, and we feel like we can win today’s game with it. So trying to prepare for everything. And I don’t know that anybody could have really prepared for the number of injuries that we’ve had.”
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kerry Carpenter injury update: Good news for Tigers outfielder