The Tigers transferred Meadows (personal) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
Meadows has been on the IL since April 7 while dealing with anxiety, and there's no timetable for when the outfielder will return to the club. At the very least, Meadows' move to the IL ensures that he won't be back in action with the Tigers until the second week of June. The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for reliever Braden Bristo, whom Detroit claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Participates in team workout
Rotowire
Meadows (anxiety) was at Comerica Park on Friday for an on-field workout with his teammates, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Meadows went on the 10-day injured list last weekend due to anxiety and it's unclear when he might feel ready to return to live games, but Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was encouraged by his presence. "We'll continue to monitor his progress and see what's next for him," Hinch said Friday. "We don't have a plan set in place, other than this is a good sign that he's able to get back to the ballpark and get some baseball work done."
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Stepping away with anxiety
Rotowire
Meadows was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Tigers on Saturday with anxiety.
In a statement released by Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris, the Tigers "fully support Austin's decision to step away from the team and prioritize his mental health." Akil Baddoo was recalled from Triple-A Toledo to replace Meadows on the big-league roster.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Taking seat Tuesday
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Meadows out of the lineup for Tuesday's game in Houston.
The lefty-hitting Meadows had started each of his team's first four games but will take a seat Tuesday as the Astros bring left-hander Framber Valdez to the hill. Eric Haase replaces Meadows in left field.
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Tigers' Austin Meadows: Tallies three hits Opening Day
Rotowire
Meadows went 3-for-4 with a double in Thursday's 4-0 loss to the Rays.
Meadows had half of Detroit's hits as Shane McClanahan mostly cruised through the lineup. The Tigers may struggle all season to generate offense, which could limit the fantasy upside of Meadows. Still, it's good to see the outfielder get off to a strong start, and he may be able to move up in the order in the near future after hitting sixth on Thursday.
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.
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.
Tigers' Austin Meadows: Reaches deal to avoid arbitration
Rotowire
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.
