“We’re going to take as much time as we can to see what he can and can’t handle,” Hinch said before the Tigers practiced at Progressive Field. “It’s clear what he’s dealing with and we’re going to hope for the best as we move forward because he’s important to our team and our setup.

“I don’t know yet what that will be and we will make a decision about playing time.”

Hinch’s comments came before MLB changed the start time by seven hours, moving the first pitch from 8:08 p.m. to 1:08 p.m. The move was made due to the possibility of inclement weather, MLB said in a news release.

Carpenter is an essential part of Detroit’s lineup. His stunning three-run homer off the Cleveland All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase gave the Tigers a 3–0 victory in Game 2. He hit 18 home runs in just 87 games during the season, despite missing significant time with a stress fracture in his lower back.

If the Tigers need to replace Carpenter on their roster, he will be ineligible if the team advances to face the New York Yankees in the ALCS.

Hinch said his focus was solely on finding a way to move forward.

“There’s no series if you don’t win tomorrow,” Hinch said. “The No. 1 goal is to win and we will make the right decision for us that we think is best for us.”

Bligh Madriswho trained with other Detroit players in Toledo during the series, is with the Tigers and would be the likely replacement for Carpenter. Madris hit .269 in 21 games for Detroit this season.

Also Tiger Catcher Jake Rogers said he was sore but otherwise fine after being hit on the left side with two foul balls in Thursday’s game.

MLB moves the start of ALDS Game 5 from night to day

Citing the potential for bad weather, Major League Baseball moved the start time of Saturday’s decisive Game 5 of the AL Division Series between Detroit and Cleveland from 8:08 p.m. to 1:08 p.m.

The change was announced Friday as the Tigers attended practice at Progressive Field.

Cleveland evened the back-and-forth series by winning Game 4 on Thursday night. Pinch hitter David Fries two-run homer in the seventh inning helped the AL Central champion avoid elimination.

While the seven o’clock change could be inconvenient for some, Ohio State and Guardians fans won’t have to alternate between turning their TVs from the baseball broadcast to the No. 2-ranked Buckeyes game at No. 3 Oregon, which starts at 7:30 PM

Yankees’ Chisholm accuses Royals’ Garcia of foul play

Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. accused the royal family Michael Garcia of deliberately trying to hurt Anthony Volpe as he slid into second base during Game 4 of a thrilling AL Division Series that New York captured with a 3-1 victory on Thursday night.

Garcia had led off the sixth inning with a single and Michael Massey was followed by helicopter to first base, where Jon Berti played the ball and stepped on the bag. He then shot to Volpe who covered second for the double play, and Garcia slid hard into base – and Volpe also delivered a hard hit to the Kansas City third baseman.

Tempers immediately flared and both teams flooded the field, although no punches were thrown and no one was thrown.

“I just felt like he was trying to go in and hurt Volpe because he was a sore loser. Do you know what I mean?” Chisholm said. “He talked a lot on Instagram and Twitter and stuff. I do the same, but I’m not going to injure someone if he or she wins a match. I didn’t like that. I told him we don’t do that on this side and that I’m going to stand up for my boys.”

Chisholm had already become the villain of the series when he said the Royals were “lucky” to win Game 2. He was also reminded of the comment during every at-bat and drew a steady stream of boos from a crowd hungry for the postseason . ball.

The Yankees jokingly booed him Thursday night during a postgame party in the visiting clubhouse as they looked ahead to a matchup with the Guardians of Tigers with Game 1 of the AL Championship Series on Monday night at Yankee Stadium.