Tigers Lineup Received Much-Needed Boost From Veteran's Return From Injury List
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Over the last few weeks, the Detroit Tigers have struggled putting everything together on the field to string together victories in the same fashion that they did to start the 2025 MLB regular season.
The Tigers’ lead in the American League Central has been seemingly dwindling by the day, with the team going 8-13 thus far in the second half. They struggled heading into the All-Star break as well, ending the first half on a four-game losing streak.
When taking those games into account, Detroit hasn’t been playing very well for the last month of the season.
Of course, this is a marathon, not a sprint, and there is still time for the Tigers to find their form again heading into the MLB playoffs. They remain in a great spot, holding a five-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians heading into play on Aug. 10.
Getting healthier will certainly help, with Detroit seeing recently how the addition of one veteran to the mix can jumpstart an entire group.
Kerry Carpenter has been on fire for Tigers
Kerry Carpenter, who was injured near the end of June, ended up being sidelined for about a month as he dealt with a right hamstring injury. The Tigers certainly missed the power and run production he provided, with their offense sputtering with him on the injured list.
He returned to the mix on July 27 and helped Detroit get right back to their winning ways, immediately being victorious in the first three games he played in, beating the Toronto Blue Jays once and the Arizona Diamondbacks twice.
His presence has been huge for the team, tearing the cover off the ball since he has gotten back in the lineup.
As shared by Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic on X, Carpenter’s red-hot performance continued on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels. He hit his 21st home run of the season, upping his batting average to .382 in the 12 games since his return.
It was the fifth long ball he has hit in that span and he has knocked in 13 runs, picking up right where he left off before the injury knocked him out of the lineup; he had three home runs and five RBI in his five games before hurting his hamstring.
In 12 games since his return from the IL, Kerry Carpenter is hitting .382 with five home runs and 13 RBI https://t.co/rRbaEy1cZS
— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) August 10, 2025
On the season, Carpenter now has a .269/.295/.548 slash line with 45 RBI to go along with his 21 home runs, which are already a single-season career-high, in only 305 at-bats. Keeping him healthy will be key to this lineup staying on track down the stretch.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.