Detroit Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo, an impactful offensive player, exited Friday’s 11-6 loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks at the end of the bottom of the fourth inning with a right quad injury.
The 24-year-old departed from the series opener after running to first base at Comerica Park. He slammed his helmet to the ground and walked back to the dugout with athletic trainer Ryne Eubanks.
The severity of his quad injury is unknown.
“It looked like somewhere halfway or two-thirds of the way to first base he grabbed it,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “When he spiked his helmet, I thought he was mad because he hit a ball pretty hard up the middle and didn’t get rewarded for it. And then he started limping back (to the dugout) in foul territory.”
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Baddoo, a left-handed hitter, is hitting .231 with seven doubles, three home runs, 24 walks (14.3% walk rate) and 34 strikeouts (20.2% strikeout rate) in 50 games this season. His ability to draw walks and limit strikeouts has benefited the Tigers.
He had a .294 batting average and a .392 on-base percentage in May, the month in which the Tigers posted a 16-11 record.
“I know he’s getting evaluated,” said Hinch, who wasn’t sure if Baddoo will need a stint on the injured list. “He’ll go through the battery of tests, and we’ll see what it is. … We have to let the doctors see him first.”
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Baddoo, who is hitting .053 with a .217 OBP in June, has played 247 games across parts of three MLB seasons.
If he ends up on the injured list, the Tigers will be down to two primary outfielders on the 26-man roster in Kerry Carpenter (left-handed hitter) and Jake Marisnick (right-handed hitter). Outfield prospect Parker Meadows, a left-handed hitter, is playing for Triple-A Toledo as a member of the 40-man roster.
Carpenter returned from the injured list Friday as the designated hitter against the Diamondbacks, while fellow outfielder Matt Vierling (right-handed hitter) began a rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Toledo.
Infielder Andy Ibáñez replaced Baddoo in left field for the remainder of Friday’s game.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.