Struggling Tigers Vet Likely Won’t Make It to July

It's been a magical 2025 season for the Detroit Tigers, who have utilized a balanced approach en route to the best record in MLB and a dominating lead in the AL Central.

While things are going fantastically for the team overall, not every player has been impressive. Spencer Torkelson, once touted as an MVP candidate, is hitting a mere .223, and the offense as a whole has underwhelmed in June.

On that note, one beloved 27-year-old veteran slugger is now battling to stick on the roster as the calendar approaches July. If this player doesn't make improvements, he could be traded or see his eventual replacement traded for before the trade deadline.

Tigers Slugger Kerry Carpenter Could Be Off Team By July

It's hard to overstate how much outfielder Kerry Carpenter is struggling. He had two hits in his last 42 at-bats since June 3rd, entering Saturday's contest, and his power has completely disappeared. While the vet has spent his entire career with Detroit, there's no ignoring how poorly he's played of late.

As pointed out by Michael Brauner of Sports Illustrated, it's been a dreadful 30-game stretch for Carpenter.

"Over the last 30 days (24 games), the 29-year-old is slashing .189/.231/.365, and though he has three home runs and five RBI in that period, they all came in the same game against the Chicago White Sox at the start of the month," Brauner writes.

The organization is incentivized to be patient with Carpenter, who has been a consistent source of power and effective hitting. That said, Detroit has a special opportunity to win a World Series this year, the organization's first since 1984, and that means the front office needs to go all-in. Carpenter can't keep getting at-bats if he's going to struggle this much, especially as the Tigers try to secure home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

He ranks in the 10th percentile in the sport in chase rate and first percentile in walk rate, which speaks to his terrible plate discipline. Carpenter has 57 strikeouts to seven walks, a truly awful mark.

It would hurt to trade Carpenter, but opportunities like this are rare. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Tigers with the second-best odds to win the AL (+300) and third-best to win the championship (+850), so the organization should be aggressive ahead of the trade deadline to ensure the best lineup is taking the field each day.

Unfortunately for Carpenter, that could leave him on the chopping block during these few weeks.

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