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Marly RiveraESPN Writer
SEATTLE — Matt Carpenter‘s dream comeback season with the New York Yankees may have come to an early end Monday night in Seattle.
Carpenter, 36, broke his left foot when he fouled off an 89 mph slider from Mariners starter Logan Gilbert in the first inning.
After hobbling in pain, Carpenter proceeded to finish the at-bat and struck out. Tim Locastro replaced Carpenter at DH in the third inning.
A front-runner for AL Comeback Player of the Year, Carpenter began the night batting .307 with 15 home runs and 37 RBIs in just 127 at-bats for New York this season, and had reached base in 27 of his 34 starts. Last month, he batted .356 in 73 at-bats.
This after hitting seven home runs in 418 plate appearances over the previous two seasons.
The Texas native signed with the Yankees in May after he was released by the Texas Rangers, where he spent the first month and a half of the season at Triple-A.
Since debuting with the Yankees on May 26, Carpenter has a .727 slugging percentage, the best in MLB during that span (minimum 100 plate appearances).
Carpenter entered Monday night’s game following an emotional series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the team with which he spent the first 11 years of his career. Carpenter received a lengthy standing ovation prior to his first at-bat and went 2-for-12 in the series.