Tigers Injury Updates: Jackson Jobe rehab start, Kerry Carpenter progress

Detroit fans got some promising injury updates on two key pieces of their short and long-term future.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Jackson Jobe warms up during spring training at Tigertown in Lakeland, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Jackson Jobe warms up during spring training at Tigertown in Lakeland, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Detroit Tigers fans were met with some eerie silence in the immediate aftermath of No. 1 prospect Jackson Jobe's apparent injury on May 1, when he was pulled after three nearly flawless innings (he gave up one walk) with pain in his left leg. He was officially moved to the 7-day IL the next day with a hamstring strain, but eagle-eyed fans were bracing for the worst.

It was good that it didn't end up being a problem with his arm, but seven days did end up being an optimistic projection for when he'd be able to return. Jobe ended up sidelined for over a month before being sent on a rehab assignment to High-A West Michigan on June 18.

That initial outing went okay, with Jobe pitching two innings and giving up two hits and two earned runs before having to take the loss on the day, but the second felt like a rapid return to form. He pitched three perfect innings while striking out four batters, and his fastball topped out at 99 MPH.

After his injury, the Tigers said that it was still their intention to get him to 100 innings on the season in Double-A. Despite the month and some change of absence, Jobe already looks like he'll be able to return to the SeaWolves in no time and pick up at the 16 2/3 innings where he left off.

Detroit Tigers injury update: Kerry Carpenter resuming baseball activities

With the big league club, Kerry Carpenter's absence dating back to May 27 has definitely impacted the Tigers' offensive capability which was already a bit sketchy. Despite the slugfest Detroit enjoyed during their last game against the White Sox on Sunday, they entered it having scored two runs or fewer for six consecutive games.

Carpenter has been sidelined with lumbar spine inflammation caused by a stress fracture and recently revealed a loose timeline to return that could put him back in the majors in mid-July. It wasn't much of an update then, as Carpenter had yet to resume baseball activities at all at the time, but he has since been cleared to do so following a month of inactivity.

The timeline remains about the same, if not pushed back by a couple of weeks to put his return somewhere around the trade deadline. That is good news for a Detroit team that could really use that kind of power after taking their series against the White Sox but still failing to sweep the worst team in baseball.

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