Kerry Carpenter is optimistic to accomplish something he's never done with Tigers

For as much as Kerry Carpenter has already meant to the Detroit Tigers’ resurgence, there is still one thing he has never truly experienced in the major leagues: a full, healthy season.

That might sound surprising for a hitter whose postseason heroics and thunderous opposite-field power have already carved out lasting moments in Detroit lore. But behind the scenes, Carpenter's past two seasons have been defined less by celebration and more by survival.

Last year alone, Carpenter revealed he suffered five separate hamstring strains within a calendar year — four during the 2025 regular season and another during the 2024 postseason. The injuries piled up quietly, often without public fanfare, gradually draining his explosiveness and forcing him into a constant balancing act between competing and protecting his body.

The first hamstring pull came on Easter Sunday after beating out an infield single. Two more followed in May. Another arrived at the end of June chasing a ball in the outfield against Minnesota — the one that finally forced the Tigers to shut him down.

Even then, Carpenter still found ways to produce. He blasted three home runs in a single game against the White Sox in early June. He still finished with 26 homers and a career-high 130 games played. But numbers alone didn’t tell the story.

From June 2-28, Carpenter hit just .169 while fighting through pain that altered both his swing mechanics and his approach at the plate. At one point, he went 94 plate appearances without drawing a walk — an almost unrecognizable stretch for a hitter whose success is typically rooted in disciplined aggression.

The hamstring issues, Carpenter now believes, were not random. After suffering a lumbar spine stress fracture in 2024, he dramatically altered his training approach while rehabbing his back. Heavy strength work — once a cornerstone of his preparation — tightened his hips and changed how his body moved.

That realization sparked a reset. This offseason became less about building strength and more about rediscovering balance — mobility, flexibility and durability replacing brute force as priorities. Working both independently and with programs designed by Tigers staff, Carpenter began returning to the training principles that fueled his early breakout years from 2021 through 2023.

The early results are already visible. In Lakeland this spring, teammates and coaches have noticed a noticeably leaner version of Carpenter moving around camp. Manager A.J. Hinch has emphasized (via Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic) how important it is simply to keep him on the field — a statement that doubles as both encouragement and reality.

Kerry Carpenter has an opportunity to prove durability with Tigers in 2026

Since the start of 2024, only a handful of hitters across baseball have punished right-handed pitching more effectively than Carpenter. His .883 OPS against righties during that span places him firmly among the sport’s elite platoon bats — except Carpenter doesn’t see himself as a platoon player.

He wants more at-bats against left-handers and more innings in the outfield — and he'll have the opportunity to get both if he can stay healthy in 2026. With Riley Greene expected to rotate more frequently through designated hitter duties, Carpenter is preparing to play both corner outfield spots this spring.

Carpenter has a chance to finally play a full season at full strength — something injuries, setbacks and rehabilitation detours have repeatedly denied him since arriving in Detroit. If the best version of him shows up across six uninterrupted months instead of scattered flashes? The Tigers may finally see the season that he has never been able to give them — and the rest of the American League may not enjoy the experience nearly as much.