Tigers’ Carpenter, Flaherty suffer setbacks in back injuries
MINNEAPOLIS — Detroit Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty continues to suffer from a back injury. The Tigers plan to trade Flaherty, who is pitching on an expiring contract, at the July 30 trade deadline, but his value is decreasing with each injection.
It seems like a messy situation. So far, Flaherty has needed two injections — in the span of three weeks — to relieve pain in his lower back. He received the first injection June 10, then the second injection Tuesday. The Tigers have not considered putting Flaherty on the injured list, but he will miss Wednesday’s start against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
“That’s pretty normal,” manager A.J. Hinch said of Flaherty’s second back injection. “It’s similar to what happened last year, where the shot that he needed, sometimes they take, sometimes they don’t. He still was feeling a little bit off, so another injection was warranted.”
If healthy, Flaherty will start at some point during the four-game series against the Cleveland Guardians that opens Monday at Comerica Park, seemingly lined up for the opener.
The 28-year-old, who signed a oneyear, $14 million contract last December, made his most recent start Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium, allowing five runs on seven hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in 52⁄3 innings.
Flaherty owns a 3.24 ERA with 14 walks (4% walk rate) and 115 strikeouts (33% strikeout rate) across 89 innings in 15 starts. He ranks in the 95th percentile in both walk rate and strikeout rate, along with being in the 88th percentile for a 2.87 expected ERA.
It’s been Flaherty’s best season since 2019 with the St. Louis Cardinals — when he finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting — but in 2024 with the Tigers, he has missed two starts with a back injury. He experienced back tightness for the first time this season in his June 4 start, forcing an early exit.
“We haven’t talked, like,” Hinch said, when asked about sending Flaherty to the injured list. “The doctors have told us that we could do it by skipping a start and getting him back in the rotation next week. Skipping a start allows for the medicine to kick in and get him feeling better.”
Flaherty didn’t travel with the Tigers to Minneapolis, instead staying in Los Angeles to receive the second injection in his back from the same doctor who issued the first injection. He is expected to play catch later this week to test the health of his lower back.
“He’s going to be back, hopefully on a mound, this weekend and preparing for a start,” Hinch said, “which is good news. It’s certainly better than what it could be.”
Flaherty also dealt with lower back pain last season, in which he needed an injection. In 2023, he posted a 4.99 ERA with 66 walks and 148 strikeouts over 1441⁄3 innings with the Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles.
Kerry Carpenter shut down
Outfielder Kerry Carpenter (lumbar spine stress fracture) experienced discomfort during his return-to-play progression from a lower back injury, so he is back to square one, with no more baseball activities.
The 26-year-old was initially cleared for baseball activities June 24, which put him on track to potentially return to the Tigers in late July, but he has been shut down after one week of baseball activities, including light hitting drills. The Tigers placed Carpenter on the injured list May 29, retroactive to May 27.
It’s unclear if Carpenter will return in the 2024 season. He is hitting .283 with eight home runs, 11 walks and 38 strikeouts across 50 games, posting a .914 OPS.
Báez begins rehab stint
Ready for the return of Javier Báez? Báez, a two-time All-Star shortstop, remains on track to join the Detroit Tigers before the All-Star break. The 31year-old began a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Toledo, serving as the designated hitter.
The Tigers placed Báez on the injured list June 11 with lumbar spine inflammation.
He hasn’t played since June 8.
“He’s got to do a lot of things for him to be deemed ready to come back to the big leagues,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “It’s exciting to get him back in a game. He’s been pushing for this for a couple of days, which is a good sign. That means he feels good.”
Báez won’t join the Tigers for the current 10-game road trip, which continues with three games against the Minnesota Twins (Tuesday-Thursday) and concludes with three games against the Cincinnati Reds (Friday-Sunday).
But Báez could join the Tigers for the upcoming seven-game homestand that takes them into the All-Star break, beginning Monday against the Cleveland Guardians.
To get there, Báez needs to complete his rehab assignment with the Mud Hens. He is scheduled to play shortstop Wednesday after working as the designated hitter Tuesday, followed by a scheduled off day Thursday.
The Tigers won’t active Báez from the injured list until he plays in back-toback games with Triple-A Toledo, which lines up for Friday and Saturday. The Mud Hens don’t play Sunday or Monday before traveling to Omaha, Nebraska.
“He’ll play some back-to-back games,” Hinch said, “and then we’ll see kind of where he’s at.”
It seems like Monday is a potential target date for Báez’s return to the Tigers.
The Tigers need him, too.
Báez is hitting .183 with one home run and a .456 OPS in 53 games this season, but in his absence, the replacement shortstops — Ryan Kreidler and Zach McKinstry — have a .145 batting average with one homer and a .431 OPS in 20 games. Also, Báez is the best defender of the three shortstops.
Before the rehab assignment, Báez received an injection for lumbar spine inflammation June 14 and received clearance to begin baseball activities June 18.