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Detroit Tigers' Kerry Carpenter has stress fracture in lower back, return unknown
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- Detroit Tigers' Kerry Carpenter has stress fracture in lower back, return unknown
BOSTON — The Detroit Tigers don't know when right fielder Kerry Carpenter will return from the injured list, but he won't be activated when he's eligible to return for Friday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Comerica Park.
He has a lumbar spine stress fracture and is suffering from pain in his lower back.
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"The information is what it is," manager A.J. Hinch said. "There's a lot of unknown still in terms of timetables, which is why we don't put one on it. We're going to go week by week with him and continue to check in on what the best next step is for him."
Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter celebrates after hitting a single against the Royals in the ninth inning of the Tigers' 8-3 loss on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Carpenter felt discomfort in his lower back for the first time last Friday , and although he continued to play through the pain last weekend, he decided he wasn't healthy enough to play in Tuesday's game, following Monday's off day.
Medical tests suggested an immediate shutdown, so that's what happened.
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The Tigers described the injury as lumbar spine inflammation when Carpenter landed on the injured list Wednesday , but upon further testing, the diagnosis of the injury was changed Friday to lumbar spine stress fracture .
"We have to look at it on the field as, it is what it is," Hinch said. "We have to find a way to get him healthy and build a lineup without him and continue to try to win games. It's tough news, as I said when he got hurt, but whatever it takes to get him healthy."
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Carpenter, a left-handed hitter, is hitting .283 with eight home runs, 11 walks and 38 strikeouts in 50 games. He ranks as the best hitter on the team in many categories.
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The Tigers called up corner outfielder Akil Baddoo from Triple-A Toledo to take Carpenter's place on the roster. If Baddoo struggles, center fielder Parker Meadows is next in line for the bulk of the opportunities in Carpenter's absence.
It's unclear how long Carpenter will be sidelined.
A few weeks? One month? Two months? The rest of the season?
He seems likely to miss at least one month of games, maybe even two months, but the Tigers don't know enough to stamp a timeline on his potential return.
Either way, losing Carpenter for any period of time is bad news.
His 1.004 OPS against right-handed pitchers ranks fifth in MLB among players with at least 140 plate appearances in those situations , trailing only superstar sluggers Shohei Ohtani , Aaron Judge , Kyle Tucker and Juan Soto .
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"I know everyone's curious," Hinch said. "He's going to be available (to talk about the injury) when we get back home (for Friday's game). We're getting him the best care we can. We have a definitive plan that we feel confident about to get him healthy as fast as possible."
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Mark Canha avoids injured list
Outfielder Mark Canha was scratched from Friday's lineup with left hip soreness , and although he wasn't in Saturday's lineup, he is available off the bench and expects to play a full game in Sunday's series finale against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
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The 35-year-old appears to have avoided a stay on the injured list.
The Tigers diagnosed Canha with a psoas strain.
"I thought it was my hip flexor," Canha said, "but I guess the psoas goes from your spine to around that area, so that's what I was feeling. The trainers are optimistic and think we can treat it and keep pushing through."
Tigers designated hitter Mark Canha bats against the Red Sox during the fourth inning on Thursday, May 30, 2024, at Fenway Park.
Canha has been dealing with a hip injury for about a week, getting worse and worse every day, and leading up to Friday's game, he finally decided he couldn't play through the pain anymore.
"Just happens when you get to be 35," Canha said. "I've never had this injury before, so it's new. The same thing happens with me every year. You never know what's going to pop up as you get older."
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A full game Sunday will be the big test for Canha's status moving forward, ultimately determining whether or not he needs to be placed on the injured list.
"It didn't feel good yesterday," Canha said, "and it feels a lot better today after the work we did, so that's what we wanted to see. I did some training room work and hit some flips in the cage, and there was no pain in flips."s
Canha is hitting .247 with six home runs, 26 walks and 47 strikeouts in 52 games this season.
Is Shelby Miller ready to return?
Detroit Tigers pitcher Shelby Miller (7) pitches against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
Right-handed reliever Shelby Miller made his second appearance Friday on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo , but there was a scary moment when catcher Dillon Dingler skipped the ball off Miller's upper back on a throw down to second base during a stolen-base attempt.
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Thankfully, Miller didn't suffer another injury.
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The 33-year-old, returning from ulnar nerve inflammation , completed 1⅓ innings with two strikeouts in his second outing with the Mud Hens, throwing 17 of 25 pitches for strikes. He worked around a double and didn't concede a walk.
His fastball averaged 93.1 mph, maxing at 94.3 mph.
Miller appears to be on track to join the Tigers for the upcoming three-game road series against the Texas Rangers , which begins Monday, but the Tigers haven't determined the next step in his return from the injured list, whether he pitches again for the Mud Hens on Sunday or joins the Tigers on Monday.
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He hasn't pitched for the Tigers since May 11.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Kerry Carpenter has stress fracture in his lower back
