DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers have lost their best hitter to the injured list, they announced Wednesday.
Kerry Carpenter was placed on the 10-day IL with lumbar spine inflammation on Wednesday morning. The move is retroactive to May 27, so he’s eligible to come back late next week, if able.
Carpenter has been the most consistent hitter on the team this season, posting a .914 OPS with eight homers, 10 doubles, and four triples across 50 games.
His 22 extra-base hits leads the Tigers by a wide margin, and he also leads all qualified players on the team with a .283 average and .572 slugging percentage.
This is poor timing for the Tigers, as they’re scheduled to face four tough right-handed starters in the next three days: Jared Jones and Paul Skenes during Wednesday’s doubleheader vs. Pittsburgh, and Nick Pivetta and Tanner Houck the next two nights in Boston.
Akil Baddoo took Carpenter’s spot on the 26-man roster. He’s hitting .253 with an. 833 OPS and 17 extra-base hits in 40 games for the Mud Hens this season.