Red Hot Tigers Farmhand Could be Answer if Kerry Carpenter Hits Injured List
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Against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night, Detroit Tigers right fielder Kerry Carpenter ran over to the wall to try to stop a ground ball with eyes hit by Bobby Witt Jr. Carpenter raced over and not only let the ball squeak by him, but banged into the outfield wall, hard.
Witt Jr. would come around to score an inside-the-park home run against Detroit to give Kansas City a quick 2-0 lead, deflating the Tigers amid a horrendous stretch of baseball. Carpenter would be removed in the third inning and replaced by Wenceel Perez following stiffness in his shoulder.
The Tigers are already beaten up, with several pitchers and hitters on the injured list, players who could help get Detroit out of the rut it finds itself in. If Carpenter's shoulder injury is significant enough, the franchise could lose another key player in the lineup.
Recent news has emerged about Gage Workman being invited to join the Tigers for the series finale against the Royals, which leads to speculation regarding Carpenter's injury, and it could actually provide the spark the Tigers need.
Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reported that if the Tigers decide to put Carpenter on the injured list Sunday ahead of the series finale, they will purchase the contract of Workman.
Workman's Red Hot Start to the Season
Workman has seen time in Major League Baseball before, but couldn't find a lot of consistent success. But that was last season, this season in Triple-A Toledo with the Mud Hens has been a different story for the former fourth-round pick by Detroit in the 2020 MLB Draft.
In 35 games played in Triple-A in 2026, Workman holds a .358 batting avearge with four home runs, 28 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, and 13 walks, giving him an OPS of 1.003. This is the kind of production that the Tigers need in the lineup right now, and while it may come at the expense of an injury, it might be best for business.
Detroit needs a spark at the plate. They don't care who it's from, but they need a spark to get the morale higher than it's been since Tarik Skubal was placed on the injured list.
Workman has some power at the plate, having hit 15 home runs across 80+ games last season in Triple-A, and for Detroit, hitting home runs has been difficult this season. Workman is no Carpenter when it comes to power, but Carpenter had been struggling at the plate regardless.
Should Workman get the opportunity, manager A.J. Hinch has another player that he can put in several positions. By trade, Workman plays shortstop, third base, and right field, while also having experience in other positions along his journey to the MLB.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.