Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows has halted baseball activities due to a nerve problem in his upper right arm, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery). It is unclear at this point if Meadows will be ready for the start of the season, due to what Hinch noted as the fluid nature of the injury.
“My understanding is that we’re in a wait-and-see situation,” Hinch said. “We have to get that nerve firing again for [Meadows] to resume baseball activities. It could be short-term, or it could linger a little. No one has a firm timeline, but we feel like we’re on a good path now that we have a diagnosis and a treatment plan.”
After hitting .232/.331/.368 over 145 plate appearances during his 2023 rookie season, Meadows took another step forward by batting .244/.310/.433 in 298 PA last year, with the increase in slugging percentage fueling his jump from a 95 wRC+ in 2023 to a 111 wRC+ in 2024. The improvement didn’t come in smooth fashion, however, as Meadows hit so poorly over the first six weeks that the Tigers demoted him to Triple-A in early May, and didn’t recall him until early July. Upon returning to the Show, Meadows almost immediately picked up a hamstring injury that put him on the injured list for another month.
Meadows was activated from the 10-day IL on August 3, and proceeded to hit a strong .296/.340/.500 with six homers over his final 201 PA of the season while playing pretty much every day in center field. Between this production at the plate and his excellent glovework, Meadows was one of the key drivers of the late-season surge that saw the Tigers go from deadline sellers to a wild card berth. Meadows then kept it going in October, batting .269/.345/.462 in 29 PA during Detroit’s playoff run.
If Meadows can continue this type of offense in addition to his strong defense and baserunning, the former second-round pick projects as a cornerstone piece for a Tigers team that has emerged from its rebuild. The plan was for Meadows to again be the everyday center fielder, though this nerve problem throws a possible wrench in the works.
Riley Greene or Wenceel Perez are the likeliest candidates to handle center field if Meadows does need to miss time, but the larger issue is that the Tigers may suddenly have a shortage of outfield depth. News broke yesterday that utilityman Matt Vierling will start the season on the IL while recovering from a rotator cuff strain, leaving the Tigers without a player projected to get playing time at either third base or right field (or a mixture of both positions). If Meadows’ nerve problem sets him back enough that he’ll also need to hit the injured list, utilitymen Zach McKinstry or Andy Ibanez will get more playing time in some capacity, and Detroit could also utilize Kerry Carpenter in right field whenever a right-handed pitcher is on the mound.
Slow day for news when something like this is posted. Very fringe player.
I wish every fringe player on my team would play at a 4 win pace per 162.
Parker Meadows can’t lose
You obviously don’t follow this team, but Meadows is believed to have the potential of becoming a top tier CF. But, I understand you felt the need to come on here and make a worthless post.
Right now, his career BA is 17 points higher than the great Mario Mendoza, yea, that’s star material!
He doesn’t have a hot girlfriend, no confidence. Amiright cooper?
After not even playing a full season worth of games. Glad you think that many ABs defines a players career. You are alone on here in thinking that.
There are 30 starting CF in baseball…?
Clueless take from a clueless individual
I don’t think I have ever seen you make a positive post on here about the Tigers so I’m assuming you cheer for an opposing team?
Meadows has 20-20 potential and is a vacuum cleaner with the glove. I will admit I was not sold in him even last year but I am now after his secobd half and playoffs.
Parker Meadows is not a fringe player.
This is a major development. You obviously don’t know a lot about Parker Meadows, but I’ll go out on a limb and say he is destined to be an MVP caliber player. I also believe he may become the best home grown position player I’ve ever seen in Detroit since Tram and Sweet Lou. So, meet Parker Meadows. He plays Centerfield.
Glance at Wenceel Perez too quickly and it looks like Wetzel Pretzel. Yum, now I’m hungry!
You should just stick to the WNBA.
I’m sure cooperhill makes terrible comments on the WNBA too.
Very fringe commenter.
I didn’t mean to strike a nerve. Maybe instead of sticking to the WNBA, you could branch out and take some English classes?
Well it is a nerve issue
This is not the start to the season Tigers fans were hoping for… two regulars out indefinitely… they need to make a trade. They’ve got pitching depth to deal from, I think Manning is likely tradable, they should be able to get a serviceable OF for him.
Luke…to me a trade just blocks Meadows and Vierling when they come back, so unless they are getting Robert or someone like that why would they do that? Why not just let Carp and Perez play OF and Malloy or Tork can get ABs at DH if they earn them in Spring Training. Ibanez can split with Jung at 3B…he hammers lefties.
Vierling sounds like he could miss most of the season. Rotator cuff injuries are tricky. And nerve issues are also tricky. I’m not talking about getting an all-star player to replace them, they need someone who can play CF for what could wind up being a lot of games. I can’t envision any scenario where Tork isn’t going to Toledo.
I agree in Tork but I think Malloy deserves a shot at DH. Greene and Perez can both.pkay CF but it scares me having Greene in CF and Carp in a corner just because of their injury history. Leody Taveras might be available and make a good 4th outfielder? Who were you thinking?
Hate to say it, but Manning probably won’t get much. Constantly injured and hasn’t lived up to his potential.
I’d like to see the Tigers make a move to get the last couple of seasons of George Springers contract from Toronto. He could play LF while Greene covers for Meadows then shift over to right when all is well.
Harris isn’t making a trade. Illitch doesn’t want to add to payroll. They made an offer to Bregman knowing full well he wasn’t going to accept it. If this weren’t true, Harris would have had a backup plan. Or maybe Harris is totally incompetent? Either way, there won’t be a trade.
He did have a backup plan. Jung and Vierling and the ba ckept plan to the backup plan is Jung and Ibanez. Ibanez smokes lefties so I don’t see it as a downgrade going from Vierling to Ibanez at 3B. Honestly they might outfit Bregman this year, even if they aren’t as good defensively.
Greene and Perez can play CF. Carp can, and wants to, play OF more. Malloy (or Tork) can get DH at bats. I don’t think they need to make a trade.
@ Luke strong
Its two regulars out TEMPORARILY. Lets not go to extremes. Depth options currently include Perez, Malloy, Kriedler, Bigbee, and McKinstry. Lets wait to see if these are more than short term situations.
The real risk isn’t just Meadows’ health—it’s how nerve injuries alter swing mechanics even after recovery.
Wasn’t his brother also sidelined by a nervous issue??
Nerve vs. nervous.
Nootbar, Arenado and Mikolas for McGonigle and Mize makes sense..
Sure, it makes sense, if you’re mentally ill or insane.
Tigers don’t have a current long term guy at short. McGonigle is their plan there. Tigers want right handed bats. Maybe you could squeeze Arenado for Mize but they have Jung who’s ready for a shot at third but that doesn’t help the outfield.
And that doesn’t help the outfield*
Nootbar helps your outfield dude. I’m pulling Arenado out of any deals with Detroit since he’s absolutely raking right now and I’d be selling low. Unless Greene is involved in some capacity Arenado will not be wearing a Tigers uniform.
Still a Nootbar, Mikolas for Mize deal makes sense. I’d throw Donovan in for McG
Stop. They just drafted a SS with a better overall skill set than McGonigle. Mize isn’t good enough to fetch a top 100 prospect from a team, how do you think the Cardinals could “squeeze” him out of the Tigers hands? Go back to watching tennis. Baseball clearly isn’t for you.
McGonigle might be up playing SS as soon as next year and recent reviews say he could stick at SS. Even on draft day they said Rainer could end up at 3B and he hasn’t even played in the minors yet. I’ll bet on McGonigle at this point.
It would take more than McGonigle and Mize. LOL.
No one wants Arenado in Detroit and he doesn’t want to play there. No way they trade McGonigle. Nootbar is overrated.
The nerve of these people.
Right now……Wencel Perez takes over CF most days. He can be the temp guy until there is more clarity with a Meadows timeline. Vierling going down means Carpenter is going to get more OF time. That will open another bench spot for either JHM or Torkelson.
Bench prolly looks like this right now: Dingler, Ibanez, McKinstry and one of JHM/Tork
Aaron Hicks and Alex Verdugo is still available