The Tigers announced Monday they're placing outfielder Kerry Carpenter on the injured list, and it's not a small tweak — plantar fasciitis in his left foot, a step up from what the team originally thought was just a bruised heel. It's Carpenter's second IL stint of the season, and per MLBTradeRumors, he's expected to miss at least the next 6 games and stay out through the trade deadline.
MLB Trade Rumors broke the news that Detroit is sending Carpenter to the injured list.
The timing stings because Carpenter has been fighting through a genuinely rough year already. He's slashing.208/.276/.416 on the season, and since coming back from a shoulder injury in May, he's been even worse — a.197/.254/.386 line over 140 plate appearances. This is a guy who's flashed real power in Detroit before, and instead he's spent 2026 bouncing between injuries and a slump he can't shake.
Reportedly, the wear on Carpenter's foot traces back to an equipment switch — he moved from Under Armour to New Balance cleats earlier this year, and the new design put a spike directly under his heel. New Balance apparently reworked the cleat after he started feeling shooting pain, but the damage to the heel had already set in and turned into plantar fasciitis.
To fill the roster spot, Detroit called up rookie outfielder Eduardo Valencia from Triple-A Toledo, while Riley Greene slides to DH and Matt Vierling covers left field. It's a fine short-term patch, but losing any outfield bat right now hurts — the Tigers sit at 50-56 and are chasing a Wild Card spot that's slipping further away by the week.
None of this is season-altering by itself, but it's another domino in a Tigers season that's felt snakebit — a talented roster that can't stay healthy or hot at the same time. With Carpenter out at least through the deadline, Detroit's front office now has one more injury variable to weigh as they decide whether to buy, sell, or stand pat in the next couple weeks.