Kerry Carpenter and Gleyber Torres moved the Detroit Tigers closer to a two-player roster decision heading into the weekend. Carpenter was slated to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo on May 29, while Torres was set to report to Toledo that day and could begin his rehab assignment that weekend, putting the Tigers in position to need two corresponding position-player moves if both returns stay aligned.
Carpenter has been on the 10-day injured list since May 10 with a left shoulder sprain, and Torres has been on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 4, with a mild left oblique strain, as listed on Detroit’s injury tracker. Their timelines tightened further when both were described as set to start rehab games on similar tracks in a May 28 update.
The current roster already reflects both absences
The Detroit Tigers active 26-man roster shows the stopgap shape clearly. The current group includes infielders Hao-Yu Lee, Zach McKinstry, Zack Short and Gage Workman, with Riley Greene, Wenceel Pérez and Matt Vierling in the outfield and Jahmai Jones listed as the designated hitter on the club’s active roster page.
The replacement trail matters here. When Carpenter went on the injured list May 10, Detroit selected Workman’s contract from Toledo, and when Torres was placed on the injured list May 6, retroactive to May 4, Detroit recalled Jace Jung from Toledo, according to the club’s transaction log.
Where the squeeze could hit
Carpenter’s activation would tighten the outfield and designated hitter mix for the Detroit Tigers. Torres’ activation would press the infield group that has covered second base and other spots during his absence.
Detroit has used Hao-Yu Lee, McKinstry, Workman and Colt Keith in that infield rotation while Torres has been out, per recent reporting on the current usage. Based on the present roster construction, Workman, Short, Jones and Jung project as the most vulnerable position-player spots if Carpenter and Torres are activated close together, though the club has not finalized those moves.
One roster opening did not solve the position-player math
Detroit created a fresh active-roster opening May 28 when Kenley Jansen went on the 15-day injured list and Drew Sommers was recalled from Toledo, as shown in the same transaction record. That move came on the pitching side, so it does not remove the need for position-player decisions once Carpenter and Torres are ready.
The next detail to track for the Detroit Tigers is Torres’ exact rehab start date. Carpenter had a stated May 29 rehab target, while Torres was only scheduled to report to Toledo and could begin that weekend, leaving Detroit with some uncertainty on timing even if the club still appears headed toward two corresponding position-player moves.
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