Detroit Tigers Kerry Carpenter

Detroit Tigers Rising Star Set To Undergo Testing On Hamstring

Matt Brown

The Detroit Tigers have started the 2025 season where they left off in 2024. After making an unlikely run in the postseason, the team has taken an early lead in the AL Central. Tarik Skubal leads an elite pitching staff, and former first overall pick Spencer Torkelson has finally lived up to his draft status. They couldn’t complete the four-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals this weekend, but the Tigers are more concerned about one of their rising stars. Outfielder Kerry Carpenter is set to undergo testing on his hamstring, and he could be out for a while.

Detroit Tigers Kerry Carpenter Injury

Kerry Carpenter was replaced in the ninth inning of Sunday’s game. The team said it is right hamstring soreness, and the young outfielder will undergo more tests this week to figure out the severity of the injury. The Detroit Tigers hope it’s a short-term injury. He racked up three more hits on Sunday. Carpenter is now slashing .315/.338/.562 with five home runs and 11 RBIs. Outside of Torkelson, he has been the best hitter on the team.

Muscle-related injuries are tough to predict. The Detroit Tigers could have pulled him out for precautionary reasons, but the fact that he is getting more testing means the team fears it is more severe. It’s still early in the season, but this would be a huge loss for a team that is looking to keep its hot start to the season going.

Next Man Up

As always in sports, it is next man up. Detroit still has plenty of talent on the roster. Torkelson is slashing .288/.392/.638 with seven homers and 21 RBIs. He already has 51 total bases in less than a month. For context, he had 128 total bases all of last season. Riley Greene is also off to a hot start and can help fill the void if Kerry Carpenter misses significant time.

The pitching will also help this team. It isn’t just the starters that have been dominant. The bullpen (despite today’s loss) has come in and sealed games. This team will be fine in the long run, but the hope is that Carpenter can come back soon and get back to mashing the ball and helping the offense.

Final Thoughts

The Detroit Tigers have an important early series coming up. They head to Cleveland to take on the Guardians, who are only a half game behind in the division. While there is plenty of season left, winning an early road series would go a long way in the first month. We’ll keep an eye out for any updates on Carpenter as the week progresses.

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