The Tigers are planning to pull outfielder Austin Meadows off his rehab assignment due to soreness in both of his achilles tendons, reports Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. “I think we’re going to have to stop his rehab and start over,” manager A.J. Hinch tells Petzold.
Acquired from the Rays in an offseason trade, the Tigers were hoping that Meadows would be an anchor in their lineup as they transitioned from rebuilders into competitors this year. Instead, it’s been a frustrating season defined by mounting injury woes, both for Meadows and the team at large.
Meadows first landed on the IL in May due to vertigo-like symptoms. He returned in June but then landed on the COVID list just over a week later. As he was about to go on a rehab assignment to get back into game shape, he was placed on the traditional injured list due to achilles strains. He attempted to start a rehab assignment last week but only got into two games before being sidelined once more. Due to these setbacks, he’s only been able to play in 36 games for the Tigers so far this year.
The frustrations with Meadows are just one piece of a frustrating puzzle in Detroit, as a host of injuries have dragged down the club this year. Many regular players and most of the starting rotation being sidelined for various ailments throughout the campaign, with the club limping to a 36-49 record thus far. Adding salt to the wound is the fact that Isaac Paredes, who went the other way in the trade, is having a breakout season for the Rays, hitting 13 home runs and slashing .240/.304/.548 for a 143 wRC+.
With the Tigers likely to do some deadline selling and stay out of the postseason race, there’s no reason to rush Meadows back until he has recuperated. Still, he and the club would surely like to get him some reps in the second half and get him into good form before the winter. He is still under club control via arbitration for two more seasons, though he likely won’t earn much of a raise on this year’s $4MM salary due to missing so much time.
Man, this poor guy is having a rough go of it. Hope for his sake, he can put these health issues behind him soon.
“… the Tigers were hoping that Meadows would be an anchor…” He HAS been an anchor, just not the type the Tigers were hoping for!
What a horrible trade this was. When we already had more then enough Outfielders to cover the position until Riley Greene returned. Hopefully we get some sort of insurance relief. For Meadows and Rodriguez!!
Rodriguez isn’t getting paid.
Tigers and Angels have the same luck right now.
Never ever ever trade with the Rays when prospects are involved. They know your guys better than you do.
Unless your Friedman….aka Bloom’s and Neander’s daddy.
You’re*
This is the baseball gods telling the Tigers HOW DARE YOU TRADE WITH THE ALMIGHTY RAYS !!
#TBusuallywins
I’m proud to show my age by saying I knew a time when a .240 batting average would not have made you an above average player, regardless of the HRs. There’s even players making the All Star Squads, putting up Rob Deer type numbers. Shame what has happened to this game. I have faith that Paredes will be a fine player. I’m hopeful that Meadows get healthy. I am also sure that batting average should be weighted much heavier now that its in such low supply. Players have forgotten how to hit. No one can steal bases. I remember when Earl Weaver played his defense, pitching and 3 run bomb Orioles. It was unique. Now even teams with speed go station to station. Few hit with runners on base, so got to settle for the solo bomb. At least they give us the speed it left the bat. Rah. Rah.
It’s almost like scoring runs and helping your team score runs and win games isn’t a desirable trait.
This was never a smart trade. The Tigers are building around pitching but Avila keeps going after poor defensive OFs such as Demeritte, Mazara, Grossman and Meadows especially with Hill and Cameron on hand. I don’t complain about Baez and Schoop or even Torkelson because their defense is stellar.
The tigers are for sale.
You know, I’d love to know what happened to Meadows’ defense. When he was in the Pirates’ system, he was generally considered a good defensive outfielder. He was more than capable of playing center field. He’s taken such a big shift from the guy many saw in him years ago. He was seen as a guy who could hit .280 every year with 15 homers and 20 stolen bases, and that was considerd the low-end of his potential.
Demeritte, and Mazzarra were before Hill or Cameron were ready. Grossman is an above average defensive player who, until yesterday, hadn’t made an error on 3 years. Meadows was never looked at as being a full time OF, and due to injuries, hasn’t been one. He was supposed to take some DH time from Miggy, but Miggy surprised, and has hit well this year. He doesn’t have the power he once had, but I will gladly take that single with runners on.
I wouldnt say Al Avila “went after” Demeritte. He was an add on in the Shane Greene deal. Joey Wentz was the centerpiece, but injuries have screwed that up so far as well.
Derek Hill was ready.
Avila talked like he almost selected Demeritte rule 5.
My point is that Avila is filling the OF with poor defenders to go with his pitching first plan.
Hill had plenty of MLB time last year. He is what he is, a great defensive CF with a really weak bat. He’s fine as a backup but the Tigers have a bunch of OF just like him. They lack power bats, which was the point of the trade.
Thought for sure we’d see Avila run out to bring Wil Myers to town yesterday, but he must’ve overslept the deadline, only making one token trade.
stymeedone
I’m proud to show my age by saying I knew a time when a .240 batting average would not have made you an above average player,
============================================
AL
1965 .242
1966 .240
1967 .236
1968 .230
I grew up around the time when fans were complaining about a lack of power, and no one mentioned average. Times change. In FB, the game is about 100% different than in the ’60s. No one drafts a RB in the 1st round. A QB with a mediocre arm, good mobility, and good eyes, is a star. The nickel back became a dime back became a slot corner. Mid-range jumpers in B-ball have disappeared.
That said, players have to learn how to play the game. We learned to bunt as kids. It seems impossible to me that any good hitter can’t learn how to bunt with an hour a day practice in the off-season. If today’s managers tried a shift against my friends, they’d bat .400 by simply pushing a half-ass bunt down the 3rd base line.
Baseball is not the NFL or the NBA.
That said, 1968 happened to be the Year Of The Pitcher. Carl Yastrzemski won the American League batting title that year hitting .301. Had he had one fewer base hit or one more credited time at bat, he would’ve been batting champion with a season average below .300.
Baseball isn’t like the NFL or NBA, but like in any competitive setting, strategy and the meta (most effective tactic avaiable) changes and fluctuates as we learn how to play the game and what is the most valuable. In 15-20 years, we might go back to the small-ball style, valuaing getting on base and driving the gaps more than big fly home runs. Big pull hitters are in, but that could change in 10 years.
In order for that to happen, I think some drastic changes would need to be made.
For example, moving the pitching rubber back a foot would give hitters the same reaction time now that they had 30 years ago. Purists will balk at this change while also bemoaning strikeouts. We can’t have both.
Baltimore made its park play more fairly, but that’s not possible in places like Fenway or Wrigley. And then you’ll have organizations like the Yanks who will build a Little League right field even after MLB told them the plans were too small.
Guys are bigger, stronger, faster, and throwing the ball harder than ever. Yet the playing fields largely remain the same and in some cases have gotten smaller.
I’m old but not that old. Was only 7 when Willie threw out Lou at the plate. After 68 they lowered the mound, and offense rose. The Mendoza Line means nothing anymore. Can’t wait to see how much some team pays Gallo next year.
I’m old enough for that too. There are different ways of scoring runs and considering the insane velocity and break hitters face today, selling out for power has become the norm.
I really prefer a game with more balls in play, more defense, more base running. I wonder if young me would like the three true outcomes game that is played today, and I doubt it.
However, I’m a die hard MLB fan now and the change took place slowly enough that I went with it.
College ball and the top Asian leagues offer a game more reminiscent of the game I learned in the 80s. You might want to take a look there.
Hopefully, the banning/adjustments that will be mandated on the shifts next year will help.
I look for them to sell one of their catchers (most likely Barnhart) to St Louis for Goldschmidt. This gives Detroit a solid first baseman to timeshare with Torkelson and the cardinals get the catcher of their future with Tucker. Win/win
Don’t drive tonight.
Tucker isnt the catcher of any competitive team’s future.
I remember my first beer
LOL!
I understood the reason for the Paredes trade.
What I didn’t understand, but what amused me greatly, was the Tiger fans reaction to the trade, like they had robbed the Rays. Paredes had some nice minor league stats.
That happens with every top prospect who comes up and doesn’t perform in his first opportunity. Some guys come up, don’t even play 50 games, but struggle in 30, and people are ready to call him a bust. I’ve unfortuntatley seen some comments like that (not on here) of Pirates ‘fans’ ready to give up on Oneil Cruz because he has a .714 OPS in his first 88 plate appearances. Not even 100 trips to the plate.
Paredes had an amazing June but he’s back to a .750 OPS in July. Let’s see if June is an anomaly or if he posts another month or 2 with an OPS over .900 before making any judgments. Meadows injury issues make this season a net loss for the Tigers who would have gladly used Paredes’ surge and even his baseline performance. However, Meadows has a 2 more years and a track record that says he can perform when healthy. Hopefully he can get healthy.
I was really surprised the Tigers traded Paredes since the Tigers acted like we stole him from the Cubs organization. Plus he is still pretty young. Yeah don’t trade with the Rays.
They kinda did. They got Parades and Candelario for 35 games of Alex Avila and 72.1 solid, but unimpressive innings from Justin Wilson.
Total steal from the Cubs.
I liked this trade for the Tigers when it happened. Does Meadows have two more years of control? Could still be good for them.
Tigers should get Meadows healthy and producing and then flip him.
Meadows doesn’t want to play for Detroit. If it hasn’t been one thing, it’s been something else. The timing is what is perplexing. Like, he gets ready to come back, something else. This is the 3rd or 4th time. And, don’t get me started on vertigo.
I’m sure he was out looking to get coughed on by someone with Covid, just to avoid being able to play for Detroit. Its not like he would want a raise going into next year. As for Paredes, Tigers called him up too soon and had already used up two of his options. They didn’t see Candelario and Schoop both struggling, so they didn’t have a spot for him. They have Kreidler and Workman coming up, pushing him. And Meadows had a market, so to get him, they had to give up something. Hindsight is 20/20, but the Tigers could have definitely used a 30 HR Outfielder this year. They may not get 30 adding all the rest of the OF together.
I don’t think they called Paredes up too soon. I think they are seriously deficient in hitting instruction throughout the organization.
In contrast, ever since Chris Fetter was hired, they’re pitching very well. So, well, in fact, that they’ve got guys that they never expected to make the big leagues performing admirably.
Wow the Tigers stole the Rays blind getting Meadows for nothing. Said the entire Tiger chatroom in April
No. If I recall, there was a lot of people saying that they saw something on Paeedes. Another said they should hang up and promote him to the Majors immediately.
You can review the comments, too.
mlbtraderumors.com/2022/04/tigers-acquire-austin-m…
Not me! Look it up! I criticized the Tigers and Avila for making a bad deal.
Paredes had won a winter league batting title and is still very young.
I was advocating for the Tigers to trade Candelario last offseason and give Paredes 3B.
Baddoo is back!
It was a reasonable trade at the time.
No it was not!
I was against the Tigers trading Paredes to the Rays at the time.
Paredes had won a winter league batting title and was primed for a break out season.
The Rays rarely lose a trade and the Tigers Front office should take note.
When the Rays ask for one of your players multiple times in multiple different trade discussions(Paredes) , then maybe you should play that guy fulltime and see what they see in your player Many of the Tigers hitters have been terrible this year so it is not like anyone was really blocking Paredes based on performance.
Too add insult to injury, the Rays also demanded and received a high Tigers competitive balance draft pick in this one sided deal.