Tigers Outfielder Nearing Return After "Disaster" Of A Season

At the outset of the season, the Detroit Tigers were thrilled to be bringing in former All-Star outfielder Austin Meadows. But things haven't gone according to plan, either for the team, or Meadows himself. 

He's missed time this season with everything from vertigo, to COVID-19 and soreness in both Achilles’ tendons. And as he told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times about his 2022 season thus far, “it’s definitely been a disaster, if you want to put it plainly.”

Meadows has managed to play just 36 games for the Tigers this season, and after a 27 HR performance in 2021, he's yet to go deep this year, with only 11 RBIs and a .675 OPS.

He expects to go on a rehab assignment next week, and hopefully rejoin the big club sometime shortly after that.

“Things are looking up,” he said. “Just trying to finish the year strong, not make it too much of a lost year.”

The 27-year-old was an All-Star for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2019, when he blasted 33 HR, to go with 89 RBIs and a .291 batting average. 

“Hopefully,” he said, “I can continue to get back to my old self."

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports