CHICAGO — The Detroit Tigers scratched outfielder Kerry Carpenter from the starting lineup Wednesday, June 4, against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field, in which he was supposed to play right field and bat fifth.

Carpenter suffered right hamstring tightness.

“He’s been dealing with this for a couple of days, navigating through the typical wear and tear of the season,” manager A.J. Hinch said, adding Carpenter remains available as a pinch-hitter. “We’re just being cautious.”

Wenceel Pérez replaced Carpenter in Wednesday’s lineup.

KERRY BONDS: Tigers’ Kerry Carpenter reminds everyone why ‘Kerry Bonds’ is more than a nickname

Celebrate Father’s Day with our new commemorative Tigers book!

Is Carpenter undergoing any tests?

“No, no, no,” Hinch said before Wednesday’s game. “He’s going to pinch-hit in the seventh inning.”

Carpenter — who launched three home runs Monday, June 2, against the White Sox — is hitting .273 with 13 home runs, seven walks and 44 strikeouts across 57 games in 2025, making 39 starts in the outfield and 11 starts at designated hitter.

He hasn’t played in the outfield since Saturday, May 31, against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium — his last of eight games in a row in the outfield.

“That’s why I’ve DH’d him a couple of days in a row,” Hinch said. “I sat him on Sunday. I pulled him early last night. I was going to put him in the outfield, but an after meeting with him today, I decided to scratch him.”

ON THE FARM: Tigers prospect Bryce Rainer suffers right shoulder injury in Low-A Lakeland

Carpenter has a history with injuries and has never stayed healthy for a full season.

The 27-year-old landed on the injured list in each of his first three MLB seasons (2022-24): left lumbar spine strain in September 2022, right shoulder sprain in April 2023 and lumbar spine stress fracture in May 2024.

He also suffered a left hamstring strain in spring training in February 2024, a left hamstring injury in Game 4 of the ALDS in October 2024 and right hamstring soreness in April 2025. None of those issues required a stint on the injured list.

The Tigers have a roster logjam on the right side of the infield, which often pushes Carpenter to the outfield. If Colt Keith is the designated hitter, Gleyber Torres is at second base, and Spencer Torkelson is at first, where does Carpenter fit?

Carpenter should be the Tigers’ everyday designated hitter — both to protect his health and hide his below-average defense — but there isn’t a spot for him at designated hitter without benching Keith, Torres or Torkelson.

That’s putting his health at risk.

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

Casey Mize: ‘I feel good’

Right-hander Casey Mize is set to start Thursday, June 5, in the finale of the four-game series against the White Sox. It will be his third start since returning from a left hamstring strain, which sent him to the injured list for the minimum 15 days.

His four-seam fastball averaged about 95 mph in his first seven starts, all before the injury. Since returning, his fastball averaged 93.2 mph in his eighth start and 93.7 mph in his ninth start.

There’s no reason to be worried.

“I feel good,” Mize said. “I’m super routine-oriented. I’m diving back into what I was doing before, the normal five- or six-day routine. Body feels good. I’m ready to go.”

The velocity on his splitter has stayed the same, hovering around 88 mph.

Mize has a 2.82 ERA in nine starts.

Dylan Smith optioned to Triple-A Toledo

The Tigers optioned right-handed reliever Dylan Smith to Triple-A Toledo, opening the door for right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long to return from the 60-day injured list to start Wednesday against the White Sox.

Called up from Toledo on Friday, May 30, Smith made his MLB debut Monday and pitched in back-to-back games. The 25-year-old allowed two runs on four hits and two walks in three innings, without a strikeout.

“He wasn’t very happy with how he threw his secondary pitches,” Hinch said. “He’s got some work to do to complete his full arsenal and continue this upward trend of pounding the strike zone with some pretty good stuff.”

The Tigers also recalled righty reliever Jason Foley — who underwent season-ending right shoulder surgery — from Triple-A Toledo and placed him on the 60-day injured list, creating room for Gipson-Long’s return to the 40-man roster.

Foley will receive MLB service time while rehabbing.

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

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

Order your copy of “Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!” by the Free Press at Tigers125.PictorialBook.com.

• The Detroit Tigers lost to the Chicago White Sox, 8-1, on Tuesday, June 3.
• The loss was the Tigers’ first to the White Sox in Chicago since June 4, 2023.
• Catcher Dillon Dingler drove in the Tigers’ only run on a single in the seventh inning.

CHICAGO — The Detroit Tigers have made a habit of late-game comebacks for the past two seasons. So often, just when they seem out of it, they find a way to claw back.

It felt like that might happen again — especially with runners on base in seven of the first eight innings — but this time, there wasn’t a comeback to celebrate.

The Tigers lost, 8-1, to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, June 3, in the second of four games at Rate Field, as the White Sox — not the Tigers — delivered the big inning to shift the momentum, scoring three runs in the sixth on a home run.

Celebrate Father’s Day with our commemorative Tigers book!

That’s how the Tigers (40-22) lost to the White Sox in Chicago for the first time since June 4, 2023, snapping a winning streak of 11 games over 730 days.

ON THE MOUND: Sawyer Gipson-Long returns to Detroit Tigers from injured list for first start in 615 days

In the sixth, Michael A. Taylor — a 12-year MLB veteran who signed with the White Sox for $1.95 million — hit a three-run home run off left-handed reliever Tyler Holton’s changeup. Before the homer, Holton allowed singles to Austin Slater and Edgar Quero.

The Taylor homer put the White Sox ahead, 4-0.

KEYHOLE: Why Tigers’ Riley Greene is one big adjustment away from MVP-caliber results

Holton — one of MLB’s best relievers in the past two years — has an uncharacteristic 4.39 ERA in 25 games this season, a regression from his 2.11 ERA across 59 games in 2023 and his 2.19 ERA across 66 games in 2024.

Taylor is hitting .206 with three homers in 52 games.

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

Bullpen-only game

The Tigers deployed a bullpen-only game for Tuesday’s matchup, using six of their nine relievers.

Right-hander Brenan Hanifee inherited a runner on first base with one out in the fourth inning, replacing lefty Brant Hurter. He immediately put himself in a jam when he fielded a comebacker and threw the ball wide of second while trying to start a double play, putting runners at first and second base.

With two outs, Hanifee crumbed when he issued back-to-back walks. He missed the strike zone of four of five pitches to Taylor with the bases loaded, walking in a run to give White Sox a 1-0 lead.

[ NEW TIGERS NEWSLETTER! Sign up for The Purr-fect Game, a weekly dose of Tigers news, numbers and analysis for Freep subscribers, here. ] 

In the seventh, the White Sox extended their lead to 6-1 with two runs off right-hander Dylan Smith. The two runs were driven in by Slater, who doubled off Smith’s fastball. It was the second MLB appearance of Smith’s career, occurring in back-to-back games against the White Sox.

The White Sox made it 8-1 with RBI singles from Mike Tauchman and Chase Meidroth in the eighth inning.

Missed opportunities

The Tigers scored one run in the seventh inning.

They were facing right-handed reliever Jordan Leasure.

Wenceel Pérez reached safely with a leadoff single, then scored on Dillon Dingler’s double to the left-field corner. The Dingler double trimmed the Tigers’ deficit to 4-1.

The Tigers had at least one runner on base in all but the fifth and ninth innings, finishing with seven hits and five walks. They loaded the bases with one out in the eighth inning, but Pérez’s strikeout and Dingler’s lineout stranded everyone.

For the White Sox, right-hander Shane Smith tossed 5⅓ scoreless innings on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts, throwing 85 pitches.

Smith has a 2.45 ERA in 12 starts.

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

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

Order your copy of “Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!” by the Free Press at Tigers125.PictorialBook.com.

Detroit officials are investigating what sparked a fire that burned through a historic, century-old church building for more than four hours Tuesday.

The Detroit Fire Department received a call at 12:34 a.m. about a blaze at the site of the former St. Agnes Catholic Church, at the corner of Rosa Parks and LaSalle Gardens, said Corey McIsaac, the DFD director of media relations.

Within four minutes, the department was at the scene and Fire Chief David Nelson called a second alarm, activating more crews, McIsaac said.

While they managed to preserve the “structural integrity” of the vacant building, she added, its old rectory next door was rendered a total loss.

Due to the condition of the building, firefighters were not able to get inside, McIsaac said. “They did an awesome job, and due to their hard work and great work, they were able to preserve the structure of the church building.”

There were no injuries to residents or firefighters Tuesday night, according to the department.

The St. Agnes Catholic Church has long been considered a community landmark, drawing figures such as Mother Teresa, who visited the building twice, once in June 1979 and once June 1981, and established a convent for the Missionaries of Charity Sisters at 1969 LaSalle Gardens, according to the Archdiocese of Detroit.

The St. Agnes Parish was established in 1913 by Bishop John Foley and the spot celebrated its first Mass in 1914 in a frame house a few blocks away from the current site. Construction on the 1,500-seat site designed by the firm Van Leyen, Schilling, Keough & Reynolds started in May 1922, according to the archdiocese.

The church was blessed in June 1924 in a ceremony led by Bishop Michael J. Gallagher. St. Agnes Parish was closed in 1989 and the Martyrs of Uganda Parish was established at the site that year, the AOD said.

The Martyrs of Uganda Parish was closed in 2006, and the property was sold in 2009.

Holly Fournier, the AOD’s media and public relations manager, told The Detroit News: “The Archdiocese of Detroit has had no connection to the property since then and has no information about current ownership or plans for the site.”

In 2022, the Detroit City Planning Commission approved a recommendation to the City Council to approve a rezoning request to redevelop the 5-acre site, according to Historic Detroit.

afayad@detroitnews.com