Detroit to place Kerry Carpenter on injured list

TIGERS

Detroit Tigers’ Kerry Carpenter, right, is congratulated by third base coach Joey Cora after hitting a home run during the third inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday in Detroit. JOSE JUAREZ — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By Chris McCosky

The Detroit News

WASHINGTON, D.C. >> It takes a lot to sour Kerry Carpenter’s mood. But his right hamstring is about on his last nerve.

“It’s very similar to the last time, which is annoying,” he said Sunday after being pulled from the game when he hobbled into third base to complete a triple.

It’s the nagging nature of this issue that pushed the Tigers to shut Carpenter down, probably through the All-Star break.

“We are going to make a very cautious decision to put him on the injured list, given where we’re at on the calendar,” manager AJ Hinch said on MLB radio Tuesday morning. “We have 12 games before the All-Star break. This is the second time he’s had these sensations. It’s very mild and probably could play through it. We’ve had him play through it and he wants to keep playing through it.”

But regardless of all the treatment he gets daily, regardless of how often Hinch uses him as the designated hitter, the tightening keeps happening. It’s been an issue the entire month of June.

On Sunday, he said he initially felt it chasing and eventually diving after Ty France’s single that broke up Tarik Skubal’s no-hitter and perfect game in the fifth inning Sunday. And when he stopped and re-accelerated around second on the triple, it appeared to lock up on him.

“If you’ve followed us, he’s been less than his best and not 100%,” Hinch said. “He had a funny feeling coming around second and so we will just take the decision away from him and be very cautious … even though it’s mild and even though he’s been able to get his way through it.”

Carpenter had just started to lock his timing back in. Over the last seven games, he was 7 for 20 with a double, triple and three home runs. And on the season, he is third on the team with 16 home runs, hitting .257 with 32 RBIs in 78 games, slugging .494 with a .779 OPS.

Shortstop Trey Sweeney will be called back up from Toledo.

Sweeney has appeared in 70 games this season for the Tigers, slashing .221/.280/.314/.594 with four home runs and 23 RBIs. Sweeney had been optioned to Toledo on Saturday to make room for the return of utility player Matt Vierling.