Detroit, MI

Detroit Tigers slugger Kerry Carpenter vs left-handed pitchers? Here’s the plan

Published

10 months ago

February 16, 2025

Detroit Tigers slugger Kerry Carpenter vs left-handed pitchers? Here’s the plan

LAKELAND, Fla. — Kerry Carpenter, a left-handed hitter, wants more opportunities to hit against left-handed pitchers this season after being limited to right-handed pitchers since making his MLB debut in August 2022.

The Detroit Tigers are open to expanding Carpenter’s role on offense, but won’t abandon their best strategy for scoring runs.

“I think the goal is to put ourselves in the best position to score the most runs,” manager A.J. Hinch said Saturday morning, referencing left-handed hitters Carpenter, Colt Keith, Jace Jung and Parker Meadows, “and they’re going to get opportunities, and probably more opportunities moving forward, but more doesn’t mean every one. We have an open mind as to how to best use our roster, but I stand behind that my job is to use the roster the best way I can.”

Here’s the big news: Carpenter is going to ask Hinch to play him against every left-handed starter and reliever in spring training games, and when he’s not in games, he wants to be able to walk to the backfields to take swings against left-handers from his own team.

“That’s my plan,” Carpenter said.

He hopes to become an everyday player.

Carpenter already crushes right-handed pitchers, so his value would skyrocket — from a Joc Pederson-caliber player to a Yordan Alvarez-caliber player — if he can hit left-handers.

“I believe that I can do it,” Carpenter said Saturday afternoon, “because I had a lot of success against lefties in the minor leagues. Certain guys are tough, but I know I can do it. It’s just getting the opportunity and taking advantage of it.”

Carpenter was one of the best players in baseball against right-handed pitching in 2024. His .994 OPS ranked fifth among position players with at least 250 plate appearances against right-handers, trailing only Aaron Judge (1.132), Shohei Ohtani (1.128), Bobby Witt Jr. (1.012) and Juan Soto (.999).

He hit .305 with 17 home runs and a .994 OPS in 264 plate appearances against righties.

But he hit .107 with one home run and a .408 OPS against lefties.

Over his three-year MLB career, Carpenter has received 734 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers and 134 plate appearances against lefties. The results: a .290 average, 40 homers and an .897 OPS against righties versus a .202 average, four homers and a .588 OPS against lefties.

Simply put, Carpenter has performed significantly better against righties, which is why he sits against left-handed starters and gets pulled against lefty relievers.

“We know he’s a massive threat, whether he’s in the box or coming off the bench,” Hinch said. “When I make those moves, maybe I’ve done a poor job of trying to convince you guys it’s about the guy coming off the bench, and I think that is going to continue to be the case as we try to adapt to how teams are approaching us.”

The right-handed hitters off the bench: Andy Ibáñez hit .292 with an .802 OPS against lefties; Justyn-Henry Malloy hit .250 with an .893 OPS against lefties; Spencer Torkelson hit .235 with a .798 OPS against lefties.

“Just because I pinch-hit for him doesn’t mean I don’t trust him,” Hinch said of Carpenter.

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In 2024, Hinch made strategic pinch-hit moves when opposing teams brought in a left-handed reliever to face Carpenter in the later innings. This forced Hinch to replace Carpenter with a right-handed hitter off the bench, such as Ibáñez.

In 2025, Hinch wonders if opposing teams will start using left-handed relievers against Carpenter as early as the fourth or fifth inning. This would force him to either let Carpenter face a lefty or remove him from the game much earlier than usual.

“Are they going to bring in pitchers in the fourth and fifth trying to chase Carp out of the game? Maybe,” Hinch said. “But I go back to Andy Ibáñez getting a base hit off (Houston Astros left-handed reliever Josh) Hader and crushing lefties. That role is still going to be available to him.”

The pinch-hit strategy worked for the Tigers in 2024, but Hinch plans to keep an open mind to giving Carpenter (and other left-handed hitters) more opportunities against lefty pitchers.

It’s exactly what Carpenter wants.

He needs to prove he can be successful against lefties.

Until then, his value is limited as a platoon player.

“Getting the at-bats here in spring training is going to help in just seeing it as much as I possibly can right now,” said Carpenter, who will be eligible for salary arbitration for the first time after the 2025 season, “and the results are going to be what they are. Coming to peace with that is all I can do.”

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.

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Detroit, MI

Near 500 saves, Kenley Jansen joins Detroit Tigers without closer role

Published

38 minutes ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Near 500 saves, Kenley Jansen joins Detroit Tigers without closer role

Kenley Jansen is destined for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The 38-year-old right-handed reliever is fourth on the all-time saves list, first on the active saves leaderboard, 24 saves away from the 500 milestone and just signed a one-year contract that guarantees $11 million.

But he hasn’t received the closer role from the Detroit Tigers for the 2026 season.

“Will we label Kenley the closer?” Tigers president baseball operations Scott Harris said Wednesday, Dec. 17, deferring to manager A.J. Hinch. “I don’t know. That’s going to be for A.J. to figure out. I’m just going to try to give him as many options as possible.”

Entering 2026, Jansen – a four-time All-Star in his 16-year MLB career – trails only three relievers on the saves list, all three of which are Hall of Famers: Lee Smith (478), Trevor Hoffman (601) and Mariano Rivera (652).

Before signing Jansen, the Tigers connected him with Hinch for an important phone call. For context, Hinch hasn’t named a full-time closer since left-hander Gregory Soto in 2021-22, instead favoring a bullpen that operates without defined roles.

Early signs suggest Jansen has already embraced the Tigers’ approach.

“From that conversation, we learned Kenley is all about winning,” Harris said of Jansen, who won the 2020 World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. “He’s willing to pitch in any spot. He just wants to be in a winning environment. And he was really attracted to Detroit as a destination, which is a huge step forward for this organization.”

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With three more saves, Jansen will move into sole possession of third place.

He has secured at least four saves in each of his 16 seasons, along with 25 or more saves in each of the past 13 full seasons, not counting the coronavirus pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

“We liked a lot of things,” Harris said. “First of all, he’s one of the best to ever do it. I’ve admired him from afar – and up close for a few years. He brings a ton of success in the highest-leverage moments of games in the regular season and postseason.”

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

In 2025, Jansen registered a 2.59 ERA with 19 walks and 57 strikeouts across 59 innings in 62 games for the Los Angeles Angels, racking up 29 saves in 30 opportunities.

His 8.1% walk rate ranked in the 46th percentile, while his 24.4% strikeout rate ranked in the 63rd percentile.

Many indicators foreshadow regression coming soon – most notably the lowest strikeout rate of his career, driven by his third-worst in-zone whiff rate and worst out-of-zone whiff rate over the past four seasons – but the Tigers believe in their future Hall of Fame reliever.

“The cutter still really plays,” Harris said. “He also has a two-seamer that misses bats, as well as a curveball. We think he’s going to miss plenty of bats for us. We think there are some things that we can do with sequencing and refining some of the shapes of his mix.”

The Tigers have pursued Jansen several times.

There was interest during the 2024-25 offseason, when he ultimately signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Angels, then at the 2025 trade deadline, when the Angels opted not to move him, and once again in the 2025-26 offseason, when the Tigers finally signed him to a one-year, $9 million contract, which includes a $12 million club option for 2027 (with a $2 million buyout).

“I’ve admired him from afar and up close,” Harris said.

With Jansen, the Tigers now feel confident using four relievers in save situations. The other three: right-hander Kyle Finnegan, right-hander Will Vest and left-hander Tyler Holton.

Of those four relievers, three of them produced more than 20 saves during the 2025 season, led by Jansen’s 29 and followed by Finnegan’s 24 and Vest’s 23.

“I think it was really important for us to add to the bullpen and be able to protect the leads that we know we’re going to get,” said Harris, who re-signed Finnegan on a two-year, $19 million contract earlier this month. “Whether we can find other opportunities to make our bullpen better, I’m not quite sure yet, but I like the bullpen as it is right now.”

For Jansen, his sights are set on reaching 500 saves.

It’s likely to happen in 2026.

But Jansen isn’t the Tigers’ closer.

Not yet.

“It’s going to be A.J.’s call on that,” Harris said.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon during the season and Tuesday afternoon during the offseason on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit man to stand trial in ex-wife’s murder

Published

13 hours ago

December 18, 2025

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Detroit man to stand trial in ex-wife’s murder – CBS Detroit

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A Detroit man accused of killing his ex-wife at Henry Ford Hospital earlier this year will now stand trial for the crime of first-degree murder.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit’s coolest new bars of 2025

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Orange wine, smoked old fashioned, freezer martinis, oysters, olives and more were covering bar tops across Motown over the past 12 months or so as Detroit welcomed the debut of many new splashy lounges and neighborhood watering holes.

From the east side to the west — and of course downtown as well — new places offered unique wine lists, mocktails, throwback drinks and other fun for adults, including books and games.

Read on for details on a dozen of the coolest new bars that opened in the city this year, in no particular order. For the sake of perimeters, I used the same criteria for the Best New Restaurants 2025 list, considering businesses that first opened between November of 2024 and October of this year. Hours listed are the regular business hours, which may be different this month due to the holidays.

The Dirty Shake — Midtown

Adding another cool and casual spot to the list of watering holes in the Cass Corridor, the Dirty Shake debuted in March in a brick building at Second and Forest. Like its elder statesman neighbor down the block the Bronx Bar, the drinks here are pretty cheap and the food is high quality and fun. That’s because it’s owned by the guys behind Chartreuse Kitchen + Cocktails and Freya, Sandy Levine and chef Doug Hewitt. You can have lunch or dinner here (cheeseburgers, smoked chicken wings, jerk chicken, vegan stuff) or just snack on Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Reese’s Popcorn and other bagged treats. The fact that the Dirty Shake is open daily at 11:30 a.m. and has a big wrap-around porch for summertime makes it an instant classic.

Open 11:30 a.m.-midnight Sun.-Thurs. and 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. 4642 Second, Detroit. (313) 279-8500. dirtyshake.com.

Chenin — Downtown

Forget everything you think about wine bars because Chenin is totally different. I have never seen anyone older than 50 sitting at one of the few seats, standing around the slight drink rail or smoking a cigarette out the back door, which is one of the only three place you can really exist inside this teeny-tiny space without being in someone’s way (or lap). Formerly home to eight-seat tasting menu restaurant Albena, Chenin is attracting younger millennials and Gen Z Detroiters with their well-edited European wine menu (including skin-fermented wines), fluffy square pizza, gourmet ice cream and late-night burger grilling. They also serve a premade and pre-chilled martini and Budweiser. Go alone and make a new friend, or just eavesdrop on conversations you can’t help but overhear. Go with too many people and risk not being able to get everyone in the door.

Open 5 p.m.-midnight Sun.-Mon. and Thurs. and 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. 1509 Broadway, Suite A-1, Detroit. barchenin.com.

Roar Brewing Company — Midtown

Sip on one of Roar’s beers like the honey oat stout, raspberry wheat or amber lager. You can also order a mixed drink or choose one of the nonalcoholic beers and canned cocktails offered. Along with a full bar, this new spot with indoor and outdoor seating serves pub grub like burgers, veggie burgers, tots, wings and flavored popcorn. The community-driven space makes sure it’s open for Detroit Lions games, and in the warmer months offers outdoor lawn games and sometimes live music. Proudly promoting itself as the city’s first Black-owned brewery, Roar is a great addition to the dense area near Selden and Second where it’s easy to walk to many other of the city’s top bars and restaurants including SheWolf, Selden Standard, Honest John’s and Barcade.

Open 5-11 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., noon-midnight Fri.-Sat. and noon-11 p.m. Sun. 666 Selden, Suite B, Detroit. (313) 326-2680. www.roar.beer.

Me & You Kitchen and Cocktails — East English Village

This is the kind of laid-back hangout spot where you can really be yourself. Laugh out loud with friends, sing along to the R&B tunes and order an extra round of lemon drop shots, which are just $5 each during happy hour. Formerly Good Vibes Lounge, Me & You is owned by Courtney Sanders and Angela Wright. Wright is also the owner of Mix Bricktown, Lockeroom Sports Lounge and Sandbox Outdoor Bar & Lounge, so she knows what Detroiters want when it comes to mixed drinks and chill atmospheres. Specialties from the kitchen are the fried fish, bologna sandwich and the Big 3 burger. Brunch has its own drink menu with flavored mimosas and mimosa tower flights — not just mimosa towers, but mimosa tower flights — for $100. Brunch cuisine features grits, salmon croquettes, fried chicken and pancakes, T-bone steak and eggs and more. The inside seats 100 and there’s room for plenty more in the backyard during warmer weather. Like the fun sign on the wall says, this is a place for “me & you, yo momma and yo cousin, too.”

Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Wed.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun. 16801 Harper, Detroit. (313) 909-0809. Meandyoueast.com.

Paris Bar — McNichols and Jos Campau

Long live the dive bar. Paris Bar debuted this year with DJs, live bands and cocktails from the same folks behind Outer Limits Lounge, which sits just outside Hamtramck in Detroit. The space, lit mostly by the warm glow of vintage neon signage, was formerly Simpson’s Record Shop. Before that, though, it was also a local bar called Paris Beer Garden. (“Amateurs wanted. Cash prizes.” reads a classified advertisement from Paris Beer Garden in a 1935 issue of The Detroit News seeking musicians.) Paris Bar has a lot of room to hang out. Drinkers gather near the bar and when bands are booked they’re in a back room. There’s also a small, fenced-in yard out back with modest patio furniture. Expect anything here: rock and roll, punk, metal, the avant-garde, art shows, films and more.

Open 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Mon.-Sat. and 6 p.m.-midnight Sun. 2961 E. McNichols, Detroit. instagram.com/parisbardetroit.

Father Forgive Me — English Village

One of the first buzzy openings of the summer was Father Forgive Me’s early June debut. Located on the grounds of the Shepherd — a former church that has been converted into a cultural center, part of an east side development — this hip, new and somewhat upscale indoor and outdoor bar has been a go-to spot since then. The menu has craft cocktails, wine by the glass or bottle and a few beers. There’s food, too, mostly small things and shareables like the very on-trend tinned fish, olives and a mortadella sandwich. They usually don’t take reservations here, but there’s an exception for the New Year’s Eve party on Dec. 31. There will be two seatings for $130 per person that includes all food and drinks. The menu is expected to feature shrimp cocktail, beef tartare and tater tot waffles with caviar.

Open 4-11 p.m. Mon., Wed.-Thurs., 4 p.m.-midnight Fri., noon-midnight Sat. and noon-11 p.m. Sun. Closed Tuesdays. 1265 Parkview, Detroit. fatherforgiveme.com.

Full Measure Brewing — Eastern Market

This is a great new hangout for craft beer lovers, of course, but the spacious and clean new Full Measure Brewing is an all-around great addition to Eastern Market. The food menu is no afterthought here, with many items that are vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free. There’s also food that’s none of those things, like the po’ boy with Creole remoulade and grilled jumbo shrimp or fried catfish (or fried green tomatoes to make it vegetarian). It comes with fries for just $15 and the menu recommends pairing it with a pint of their Bla Bla Ginger or Atmospherium Saison. The menu also does a good job at explaining the bitterness and alcohol content of all the beers. There’s a brunch menu, too, as Full Measure is an easygoing spot to fuel up before or after your weekend market shopping.

Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat. and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. 2700 Orleans, Detroit. (313) 818-3977. fullmeasurebrewing.com.

Vesper Books & Wine — Core City

This new corner spot at Grand River an W. Warren is one of the most well-lit bars on this list because it’s also a bookstore. Vesper specializes in cookbooks and other food-adjacent literature, which are shelved around an interior that also features a mix of couches and tables that look thrifted right out of your cool aunt’s 1990s-era living room. They sell wines by the glass at the bar (or order at the counter and take a seat) and customers can also shop for a variety of interesting wines to take home. The menu has a few cocktails and beers (Budweiser, again). A short snack menu has wine-centric vittles like a cheese plate, olives or something more substantial like a beautiful soppressata sandwich or tinned fish served with bread, butter and pickled vegetables. This place has been abuzz since late 2022 and finally debuted in December 2024. Vesper is open early for a wine bar, so you can pop in and nurse your hangover after closing down Chenin the night before.

Open 2-11 p.m. Wed.-Thurs., 2 p.m.-midnight Fri., noon-midnight Sat. and noon-9 p.m. Sun. 5001 Grand River, Detroit. (313) 716-1708. vesperbooksandwine.com.

Arcenciel — Livernois and Fenkell

Named for the French word for “rainbow,” this new nightlife destination debuted in November 2024 as an LGBTQ+ dance club. Friday nights is geared toward women, and Saturday nights for men, but anyoe and everyone is welcome on either night at the 4,500-square-foot club with a state-of-the-art dance floor. A supper club-style Versailles Dining Room restaurant has been put on hold and is expected to reopen in Spring 2026.

Open 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. 14925 Livernois, Detroit. (313) 635-5080. arcencieldetroit.com.

Cannons — Morningside

Brightening up the space where beloved and dimly-lit tiki bar Lost River was, Cannons debuted this fall with oysters, barrel batched cocktails and nods to the United Kingdom like a perfect pour of Guinness, Welsh rarebit and bread pudding. Upstairs is a cozy techno haven that has already hosted sets by some of the greats: Juan Adkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. This summer there is sure to be plenty more fun on the rooftop deck that overlooks Mack Avenue at the Detroit and Grosse Pointe Park border. Stop in for a pint and a football game (either kind), and soak in all the small details of the refurbished barroom.

Open 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Mon.-Fri. And 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat. 15421 Mack, Detroit. instagram.com/cannonsbar.

Sip N Read — Corktown

Another bar and bookstore in one! At Sip N Read, the name says it all. The 2,400-square-foot space is owned and operated by Tamela Todd, author of three nonfiction books and a winemaker. She proudly displayed her her Library of Rosé from the Sip-N-Read wine collection, which is available to enjoy in 5- or 8-ounce pours at the bar. All the wines here are Michigan-made. Sip-N-Read is a place to shop for books, visit with friends, sit and read, have a drink or a mix of all of these. Rather than store shelves, the displays are more like a living room, with cozy, plush chairs. The selection is a small, curated mix of current memoirs, nonfiction, novels and some classics. Todd and her team at Sip N Read are planning to lean into this year’s Dry January and offer guests a new menu of mocktails while they aim to create a space that makes alcohol-free socializing intentional and inviting.

Open 4-9 p.m. Thurs.-Sun. 1620 Michigan, Ste 122, Detroit. sipandread.net.

The Post Bar — Downtown

The sportiest watering hole on this list of new spots, the Post Bar turned on the old neon sign late last year. Longtime Detroiters will know the name, as there were once raucous Post Bar locations throughout the area, including on Congress by Joe Louis Arena and even one on Woodward in Ferndale (where Imperial is now). They’ve got every kind of beer, liquor and hard seltzer that’s currently trending, along with a hearty food menu. Choose from pub grub like a giant pretzel, turkey chili or Cajun chicken nachos, or try the more sophisticated prime rib French dip, strawberry salad or charcuterie board.

Open 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Daily. 1325 Broadway, Detroit. instagram.com/thepostbardetroit.

Melody Baetens is The Detroit News restaurant critic

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

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