Tigers dealt another blow as Carpenter (left shoulder) heads to 10-day IL

KANSAS CITY -- Uncle.

The Tigers’ burgeoning injured list added another new member Sunday, and a key cog at that. Slugging outfielder Kerry Carpenter was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder sprain suffered crashing into the right-field sidewall at Kauffman Stadium on Bobby Witt Jr.’s inside-the-park home run Saturday night.

Carpenter, who missed about a month and a half in 2023 with a sprained right shoulder suffered on a home run robbery, injured the other shoulder this time in his pursuit of Witt’s opposite-field ball down the right-field line. Carpenter hustled in an effort to chase it down before it could get to the right-field corner, but the ball bounced past him as he collided with the sidewall. Witt rounded the bases as Carpenter chased the ball down. Carpenter left the game a couple innings later, having sprained the AC joint in his shoulder.

“Initial tests have shown no structural damage, but he has inflammation,” manager A.J. Hinch said Sunday. “And he’s obviously really sore.”

Carpenter has yet to heat up at the plate this season, batting .216 (22-for-102) with six home runs, 17 RBIs, 40 strikeouts and a .750 OPS. But he has been a key offensive catalyst in the middle of the Tigers lineup for much of the past two seasons, and a hitter that opposing managers plan around when using their bullpen. His ability to crush right-handed pitching changes ballgames, and losing that for any length of time is a major blow for the offense.

“Right now, we’re just looking for multiple guys to contribute,” Hinch said. “Carp is a huge presence in that lineup and obviously still gets targeted quite a bit by opposing managers because of how he can threaten to change the game. We can absorb it by [using] multiple guys, probably not just one guy, while he mends.

“Carp’s injury could be quick. It depends on the inflammation and how fast we can get him back to swinging freely. But in the meantime, we’re going to need to pick it up collectively.”

He’s also the 15th player on the Tigers' injured list, which had briefly dropped down to 14 members with the return of Zach McKinstry earlier this week. The list includes center fielder Parker Meadows, shortstop/center fielder Javier Báez, second baseman Gleyber Torres and a bevy of pitchers, and it deepens the feeling of a five-game losing streak.

“I don't even know how many guys we have on the IL, but it seems like there's a new one every day,” catcher Jake Rogers said Saturday. “Obviously, that hurts. You hate to see Kerry go out of the game like that, but hopefully he's all right.

“I think all of us are playing to the best of our abilities and trying to put our head down and play the best we can, stay within ourselves. But look, it's no secret, I think we're a little down and I think we need to come around and get a little spark. We're not clicking on all cylinders.”

Replacing Carpenter on the 26-man roster will be Gage Workman, who gets his first opportunity with Detroit after spending parts of last season with the Cubs and White Sox as a Rule 5 Draft pick. Workman batted 3-for-16 during his two Chicago stints last season with a double, two RBIs and seven strikeouts.

The Tigers’ fourth-round pick from their productive 2020 Draft plays all over the field but has been limited offensively by strikeouts over his career. He has taken big strides to temper that this season and has gotten off to a torrid start at Triple-A Toledo, slashing .358/.413/.590 with 15 doubles, two triples, four homers and 28 RBIs. His 23.3 percent strikeout rate in Toledo is a career low for his pro career.

“Gage has been killing it in Triple-A,” Hinch said. “He’s been a candidate this whole time to come up and join us when we’ve had these openings. Some have been short spurts. Gage has kept performing and kept playing. He’s made some improvements on defense, on his first step in getting to balls. He has crushed Triple-A pitching pretty much all season and has earned his right to be on a callup list whenever the opportunity came open.”

To open a 40-man roster spot for Workman, the Tigers transferred Justin Verlander to the 60-day injured list. He had been on the 15-day IL since early April with left hip inflammation, but now will be eligible to return on May 31.