Detroit Tigers Get Mixed Result on Injury Updates Ahead of Game 5
The Detroit Tigers' season is on the line in Game 5.
It's a simple scenario that hasn't been present for this franchise in a decade; win and advance or lose and watch someone else lift the World Series trophy.
Just a couple months ago, there were very few people who thought they would be in this situation.
Way behind in the Wild Card race that caused the front office to become sellers at the trade deadline, the Tigers' commitment to a youth movement sparked a huge turnaround that had them entering the playoffs as the hottest team in the American League.
But this magical run could end with one loss on Saturday.
The good news is Detroit will have their ace Tarik Skubal on the bump who has been historically good in his first two career playoff starts.
The troubling news is they are coming into this contest a little banged up.
Catcher Jake Rogers took some foul balls off his wrist that resulted in him needing X-rays after Game 4 to see if there was anything structurally wrong. Fortunately, the Tigers received a positive injury update on that front, and he should be good to go despite the bumps and bruises.
When it comes to their star outfielder Kerry Carpenter, though, they could run into a bit more trouble.
The slugger left the game following the sixth inning when he tweaked his hamstring scoring a run from second base that put Detroit up 3-2 on Thursday.
There was no new information on Friday, and at the time of writing, they are still weighing if the injury is severe enough if they have to replace him on the roster with Bligh Madris, who was added to their taxi squad in case that ultimately becomes the decision.
"Kerry was seen by the doctors last night. He's going to be seen by the doctors again. We're going to take as much time as we can to see what he can and can't handle," manager A.J. Hinch said per the team's injuries and moves page.
If they remove Carpenter from the roster, then he would not be eligible to play in the American League Championship Series if they are able to win Game 5 and advance.
