Kerry Carpenter's 2024 return to Tigers very much remains up in the air after recent comments

The Tigers left the first half (and some change) of the season on a very high note with two come-from-behind wins to take a series from the most expensive team in baseball. Most of them got to rest while Riley Greene and Tarik Skubal headed to Arlington to participate in the All-Star Week festivities, representing a much-needed pick-me-up for a team that seemed to be in free fall throughout June. Unfortunately, that pick-me-up didn't extend to the team's players who are currently on the Injured List.

While the Tigers have mostly avoided costly injuries, Casey Mize, Parker Meadows, and Kerry Carpenter have all represented impactful losses. Mize took a chunk out of the Tigers' promising rotation, and Carpenter's powerful bat has been sorely missed since late May.

And it doesn't seem like he'll be coming back anytime soon, though he believes his current rehab won't take all season. That said, Carpenter was shut down from baseball activities in early July and is still uncertain about a timeline.

""It was pretty disappointing," Carpenter told the Detroit Free Press, regarding his summer setback, "but it wasn't as big of a deal as the first time. I was back at it a couple of weeks later. It was the running. I'm not sure exactly why, but I felt it when I was running."

Kerry Carpenter is still without a timeline to return after almost two months on Tigers IL

Through the 50 games he played, Carpenter was hitting .283 with a .914 OPS, making him — by far — the best hitter the Tigers had. Greene, Andy Ibáñez, and Colt Keith have all stepped up in Carpenter's absence, but this is a team that still sorely lacks in power and is missing out on Carpenter's 20+ projected home runs.

Although a playoff run is almost certainly out of the picture, the Tigers should take the momentum from before the All-Star break to at least put together an above-.500 season through August and September.

Despite a strong close to the first half, there are still plenty of issues this team will have to contend with coming back from the break. To trade Skubal or not to trade Skubal? Where's Jack Flaherty going at the deadline, and for how much? What can be done about the stuttering offense?

Hopefully, Carpenter will be able to be a part of at least the tail end of the solution, then come back next year to put together his first not-injury-plagued full season. As of now, though, his absence looms large.