Parker Meadows’ season-opening stint on the injured list looks like it will stretch into May, as Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen) that the outfielder will need four weeks of rest after undergoing a nerve conduction test. Meadows has been sidelined by an issue with the musculocutaneous nerve in his upper right arm, which has prevented him from throwing.
The problem has been bothering Meadows for the better part of the month, and the uncertain nature of nerve-related injuries had left the door open for a somewhat sudden recovery, since the nerve could technically “wake up” (to use Hinch’s parlance) at any point. However, the aftermath of this test has led to a firmer idea of how much time Meadows will miss in the near term, but the outfielder and the team will then wait and see about how well his right arm has responded.
Because the problem is limited to his right arm, Meadows can take part other limited baseball activities apart from throwing, Hinch said. This leads to some hope that Meadows could be able to return to action relatively quickly once he is finally cleared, but even in the best-case scenario of a clean bill of health in four weeks’ time, Meadows figures to need some ramp-up time in extended Spring Training and on a minor league rehab assignment. It seems like the Tigers will be placing Meadows on the 10-day IL, as a 60-day placement would mean that Meadows wouldn’t be able to play on the active roster until the end of May.
It’s a very unfortunate and frustrating situation for Meadows, an outstanding defensive player who seemed to turn the corner at the plate late last season. His 2024 season got off to a rough start between a cold stretch at the plate, a demotion to Triple-A Toledo, and then a month-long IL stint due to a hamstring injury as soon as Meadows was called back up to the big leagues. Once he got back from the IL, Meadows finally hit his stride, batting .296/.340/.500 over his final 201 plate appearances to help lead Detroit to a wild card berth.
Just as he had solidified his spot as an everyday center fielder, however, Meadows will now join Matt Vierling on the IL, leaving the Tigers thin in the outfield. The plan is to give Wenceel Perez the bulk of playing time in center field in Meadows’ absence, with utilityman Andy Ibanez, Zach McKinstry, and possibly minor league signing Jahmai Jones all helping fill the gaps around the diamond and on the bench. Detroit has also considered some less-conventional options like giving Javier Baez and Spencer Torkelson a few reps in the outfield, just to provide as much flexibility as possible.
Keep your chin up Parker. You’ll be patrolling CF for the Tigers and raking at the plate before long.
Hopefully he’s a fan of mlbtraderumors to a read your comment
Time to go get Dylan Carlson
That makes no sense
Finally healthy, has looked good in camp, can play all three OF positions, switch hits, has a one year contract under a million and still has three options left. Sounds like it makes a lot sense to me.
Or let Perez play and wait for Vierling to come back. Both offer the same skill set.
Although I agree with your assessment of Perez, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to start looking outside the org for CF possibilities. Even if Vierling returns shortly after opening day, are they going to want him making those throws from CF? And are we really comfortable with Perez as our fulltime CF? I guess Jahmai Jones makes the team now but a Jahmai/Perez/McKinstry CF platoon is pretty weak for a playoff team too.
They said he is out for 4 weeks but we all know that it will be longer. I’d rather see them use in house bodies for CF…even Greene, and go make a trade for a big bat (3B, OF). Robert is the only CF option i see who might be worth trying to grab.
It doesn’t make sense to Tiger fans that believe Scott Harris knows all and that every offensive player on this team can hit at least 20 HRs while driving in 100 RBIs. But the signing makes sense to anyone that actually knows how baseball works.
So not you then.
Epineurotomy procedure on the horizon. JMHO, but this could go on for months. Even when the nerve, finally, returns to normal, his arm muscles will be atrophied. It will take weeks, if not months to return to normal. I would not count on Parker Meadows before the All Star break…maybe not at all.
In addition, Matt Vierling has a strained rotator cuff in his throwing arm. Also, not good, especially for a 3rd baseman. I won’t be surprised if he doesn’t go under the knife and will be gone for the season.
Always hoping to be wrong.
Those are my fears as well, beeb. Also hoping that I’m wrong.
I fear these two may never return.
What is wrong with baseball anymore? Injuries happened in the past but not downright rampant.
If he’s back for the second half for the playoff push then that is great. Until then we get to see what some other players have to offer and whether Perez was for real last year.
“Playoff push” LOL,
“Playoffs? Don’t talk about… Playoffs? You kidding me?” Jim Mora
Almost the same team tgst made the playoffs last year but with a better pitching staff!
Almost the same team that started the year 38 and 47 and it was a fluke they made it in. Can they expect other teams to fall apart like they did last year? Can they go 10 and 3 against the White Sox again?
Lot’s of questions and all the answers have to be “YES”
A better pitching staff that is stacked and led by Fetter the best pitching coach in the keague, young players who are a year older and have been through a playoff series and one of the best skippers in the league who knows how to mix and match. Perhaps it will be “hitting chaos” this year led by their stars Greene and Carp.
A lot of teams could go 10 and 3 against the White Sox this year.
That stinks. Meadows was really, really good the latter half of the season as it states in the article. Weird.
Problematic depth issue. You need good defense in CF. Surprise us someone!
You stink. I can smell the Stuperfife all the way over here.
Andrew Navigato has been tearing the cover off the ball this spring. While he has primarily been a SS, the Tigers don’t seem to have him in their plans at that position. They have used him all over this spring. He has 65 minor league games at 3B, and about 35 in the OF, mostly LF (allowing Greene CF time). He’s RH and had 20+ HRs and SBs at AAA in ’24. No better time than the present to find out how he fits. Jah. Jones hit early, but has slumped as ST has thinned out the lesser pitchers. Navigato is the better option.
Navigato would’ve been a good choice, until you mentioned him, STYMEEDONE! Every time you mention someone, the player turns to fecal matter!
Navigato must be a butcher with the leather. He hits wherever he plays.
That is the jinx of the STYMEEDONE in effect!
Yankees would gladly give up gold glove CF Grisham. Probably wouldn’t take much. He had a decent spring. It would nice to see outfielders in the outfield instead of Kreidler and Ibanez and McKinstry.
And just what should the Tigers send NY?
How has Kreidler looked in CF? I haven’t been able to actually see him play. I do know that he has been hitting in the second half of Spring Training and drawing a fair amount of walks. That’s good to see.
He’s looked ok but has already been sent to AAA.
He’ll be back. For us, or another team.
I know spring training trades are not common, but in the Tiger’s case, they should…
Call the Padres about Eguy Rosario. He could be their 3B of the future. With Yu out, they may need a starter like Montero.
Try and get Grisham from the Yankees. I doubt it would cost much and it gives you a gold glove CF out there. He has a little power at times. He’s a free agent at the end of the season.
Give the Dodgers a call and try to get Feduccia as back-up catcher. Dingler/Feduccia as the catching tandem. Rogers can be trade bait or go to AAA..
Send Kenta Maeda to the Marlins for LHP Dax Fulton. Marlins need to add payroll. Fulton has good K% but high era. Let Fetter work with him. He’s coming off his second TJ surgery… might be a nice project.
C Feduccia/Dingler
1B Tork
2B Torres
SS Sweeney/Baez
3B Rosario
LF Greene
CF Grisham
RF Carpenter
DH Keith
Bench Baez, Dingler, Ibanez, Malloy
I don’t think it’s realistic that we’d trade for another prospect to play 3B at this point, nor do I think they have Keith at DH for more than a handful of games this year. Also, as long as Skub is with us, Rogers is going nowhere.
………and a bag of Magic Beans !
I’m surprised Rosario has npt been given mote of a chance to play. He seems like he’d be a great Swiss army knife type player.
Great.
Sign his brother
It seems to me that he can still hit and run the bases and given the lack of depth for bench players a it is, wouldn’t it make more sense to have him as one of the main bench players to be a pitch hitter, runner or spot DH?
He’s a flex option, used maybe 10-15 times over four weeks, but only in spots where his bat or legs could swing the outcome—like a chess piece you save for the perfect move. The rest of the time, he’s on the bench, not taxing the roster’s daily needs since the Tigers already have Perez and others covering center field.