Meadows went 0-for-3 in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals and is now batting just .188 this spring.
Meadows has only three hits in 16 at-bats so far, though on a positive note, he's only struck out once. The outfielder batted .250 with a .675 OPS in 36 games last season, as Achilles and mental health issues kept him out of game action for significant stretches. Meadows had 27 home runs, 106 RBI and a .773 OPS back in 2021 with Tampa Bay, so he'll be looking to get back to that form this year in his second campaign with the Tigers. Simply staying on the field will be a big step in the right direction.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Ready for start of season
Rotowire
Meadows, who dealt with numerous injuries during the 2022 year, told reporters on Monday that he's ready for the start of the 2023 season, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
On top of dealing with Achilles issues last summer, Meadows also dealt with vertigo while also battling his own anxiety and mental health. The outfielder struggled after being traded to the Tigers from the Rays in 2022 when he was on the field with a .675 OPS, no homers and zero steals over 147 plate appearances. He's not long removed from being one of the best young outfielders in the sport, so assuming good health, he very well could be an effective option for the Tigers and potentially fantasy managers in 2023.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Reaches deal to avoid arbitration
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Meadows agreed to a one-year contract with the Tigers on Friday, avoiding arbitration.
Detroit will keep Meadows around at north of $4 million in 2023. Meadows appeared in just 36 games last season around mental health struggles and injuries, finishing the year on the IL with strains to both of his Achilles' tendons. He should have a normal offseason and the expectation is that Meadows will be the starter in either right field or left on Opening Day.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Clear of Achilles issues
Rotowire
The Tigers announced Tuesday that Meadows (Achilles) is healthy and participating in his normal offseason program, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
Meadows played in only 36 games in 2022 and missed the final four months of the campaign due to strains in both of his Achilles' tendons and mental health issues. The 27-year-old struggled at the plate when available and finished his first year in Detroit with a .675 OPS and zero home runs in 147 plate appearances. He tentatively lines up to open 2023 as the Tigers' starting right fielder, though that role is hardly secure.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Goes on 60-day IL
Rotowire
The Tigers transferred Meadows (Achilles) to the 60-day injured list Sunday.
The transaction is merely procedural, as Meadows has already missed more than 60 days while recovering from strains of both Achilles' tendons. After being pulled off his rehab assignment in mid-August, Meadows hadn't resumed full activities before he disclosed in a post on his personal Twitter account Friday that he won't be returning to action in 2022. He ends his first season in Detroit with zero home runs, zero stolen bases, 11 RBI and nine runs in 36 games with the club.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Won't return this season
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Meadows (Achilles) announced Friday that he won't be returning this season while he works through some mental health struggles.
Meadows' first year in Detroit didn't go anything close to how he would have hoped. He dealt with vertigo and battled COVID-19 before dealing with bilateral tendinitis in his Achilles tendons. He revealed Friday that he'd been battling mental health issues alongside those physical problems. He's been back in the clubhouse for the past few weeks but won't attempt to get back on the field, instead continuing to work on his mental health in preparation for next season.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Not yet doing full activity
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Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Meadows (Achilles) took part in a workout at Comerica Park on Tuesday, but the 27-year-old remains without a timeline to return from the 10-day injured list, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports. "We're still sorting through a game plan for him. We have not ramped him up to full activity," Hinch said of Meadows.
Meadows has been on the shelf since June 17, first on account of a positive COVID-19 test before he was diagnosed with strains of both of his Achilles' tendons just over a week later. He started up a rehab assignment with Triple-A on Aug. 10, only to return to Detroit after playing in four games when he experienced a setback. He's made limited progress over the subsequent two weeks and still doesn't appear particularly close to a return, making it far from a certainty that Meadows is cleared to play before the end of the season. He's played in just 36 games during his inaugural campaign in Detroit, batting .250 with no home runs or stolen bases over 147 plate appearances.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Pulled off rehab assignment
Rotowire
Meadows (Achilles) was removed from his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday and will return to Detroit to be re-evaluated, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Meadows began the rehab stint last week and appeared in four games, but something apparently feels off and he'll rejoin the big-league club for further evaluation. The 27-year-old has been sidelined by strain in both Achilles' tendons since mid-June, and it appears his return timeline is being pushed back again.
Meadows (Achilles) is expected to report to Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday to begin a rehab assignment, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Meadows completed some on-field hitting and baserunning Tuesday and appears to have demonstrated enough progress from his left and right Achilles' tendon strains to put his health to the test in a game setting. According to Woodbery, the Tigers plan on having Meadows serve as a designated hitter in his first rehab start before gradually getting exposure to right field, where he should play on a near-everyday basis whenever he's cleared to return from the 10-day injured list. Since Meadows has been out of commission for just under two months, Woodbery speculates that the 27-year-old will stay in the minors for 7-to-10 days before making his return to the Detroit lineup.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Hits on field Monday
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Meadows (Achilles) was spotted taking batting practice Monday in Minnesota, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Meadows has recently been conducting his rehab for his left and right Achilles' tendon strains at the Tigers' complex Florida, but he joined the team for its road series in Minnesota so the training and coaching staff could get a better handle on whether he's fit to begin a minor-league rehab assignment. In addition to taking BP, Meadows would likely need to prove that his Achilles injuries don't limit him on the bases or in the outfield before the Tigers send him out to a minor-league affiliate.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Not running yet
Rotowire
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Wednesday that Meadows (Achilles) has yet to resume a running program while he conducts his rehab at the team's spring training complex in Florida, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Meadows has endured a challenging first season in Detroit, having appeared in only 36 games with the big club due to a case of vertigo, bouts with illnesses -- both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19-related -- and now strains to both of his Achilles' tendons. The 27-year-old is set to rejoin the Tigers for their series in Minnesota next week for a re-evaluation, at which point he could be cleared to start running again if team doctors are satisfied with the progress he's made in his recovery from the Achilles' injuries. Since he's likely to require a rehab assignment before he's activated from the 10-day injured list, Meadows doesn't appear on track to play for the Tigers until at least the second week of August.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Won't return this month
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Meadows (Achilles) will not return in July, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
He is still not running, and manager A.J. Hinch said he would have a better idea on a timeline once Meadows begins a running program. With strains in both his left and right Achilles and no clear timetable to return, Meadows is a tough stash in leagues with no IL spots.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Likely out through All-Star break
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Meadows is expected to be pulled off his rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo after he reported soreness in both of his Achilles' tendons Monday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Hinch suggested that Meadows would have to start his rehab program all over in the wake of the setback, which essentially rules out of the possibility of the 27-year-old returning before the All-Star break. Meadows was initially deactivated June 17 after testing positive for COVID-19 before shifting to the 10-day injured list June 28 when he was diagnosed with strains of both of his Achilles' tendons.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Unlikely to return by Monday
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Meadows (Achilles) isn't expected to be reinstated from the injured list prior to at least Tuesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
The Tigers initially hoped that Meadows would be able to rejoin the major-league club in time for Monday's series opener in Kansas City, but he was held out of the lineup at Triple-A Toledo on Friday since he's dealing with some soreness. As long as his soreness doesn't prove to be a significant issue, it's still possible that the 27-year-old returns from the injured list ahead of the All-Star break.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Starting up rehab assignment
Rotowire
Meadows (Achilles) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Meadows was cleared for game action after he was involved in agility drills as part of a full on-field workout Tuesday, per Beck. The outfielder initially landed on the injured list July 17 following a positive COVID-19 test, but he made a full recovery from the illness a week later and has since been working his way back from strains of his left and right Achilles' tendons. The Tigers haven't indicated how long Meadows' rehab assignment might last, but if he looks good in his initial game for Toledo on Wednesday, it's conceivable that he could be activated from the IL at some point this weekend.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Out with Achilles strains
Rotowire
Meadows (illness) was transferred from the COVID-19 injured list to the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to strains in his left and right Achilles.
The 27-year-old recently cleared COVID-19 protocols and reported to Triple-A Toledo for workouts over the weekend before beginning a rehab assignment there, but he'll instead shift to the traditional injured list due to injuries with both Achilles. The severity of the issues remain unclear, but it's yet another hurdle for Meadows, who has already been limited to only 36 games this season.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Clears protocol, rehab stint on tap
Rotowire
Meadows (illness) cleared the COVID-19 protocols and will report to Triple-A Toledo for workouts this weekend before beginning a rehab assignment, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Meadows landed on the COVID-19 injured list last week after testing positive for the virus, and he'll see some game action in the minors before rejoining the big-league club. Assuming all goes well with Toledo, the 27-year-old could be back with the Tigers for next weekend's three-game series against the Royals.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Tests positive for COVID-19
Rotowire
Meadows will be placed on the COVID-19 injured list Friday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Meadows was a late scratch from Friday's lineup, and he'll be forced to isolate from the team after testing positive for COVID-19. The 27-year-old will be eligible to rejoin the team as soon as he clears the league's health and safety protocols, but playing time could be harder to find upon his return with the Tigers selecting the contract of top prospect Riley Greene, who will make his major-league debut Saturday against the Rangers.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Scratched from Friday's lineup
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Meadows was scratched from Friday's lineup against the Rangers for an undisclosed reason, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Meadows was slated to start in right field and bat cleanup Friday but was ultimately removed from the lineup several hours before first pitch. It's not yet clear whether he's dealing with an injury or whether he'll be available off the bench, but Victor Reyes will shift to right field while Willi Castro enters the lineup in center.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Rests Thursday
Rotowire
Meadows is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rangers.
Meadows has managed a .185/.290/.259 slash line in his eight starts since returning from a stint on the 10-day injured list earlier this month due to a case of vertigo, but that meager production may actually make him one of the better performers in an anemic Detroit lineup. Even so, Meadows will get some routine maintenance Thursday, as the Tigers roll out an outfield consisting of Robbie Grossman, Willi Castro and Victor Reyes.
