In 2025, Detroit Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows is hitting .200 with two home runs, 12 walks and 40 strikeouts across 38 games.
MINNEAPOLIS — Detroit Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows has been sidelined with a right quad strain, so it was a surprise to see him walking from the dugout to the outfield before the game Friday, Aug. 15, against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
He isn't here to play.
He is here to continue his return-to-play progression as part of his rehab program.
"I'm getting more back into baseball activity," Meadows said Friday afternoon. "When the team is on the road, it's tough to do all of that in Detroit."
Meadows could begin a rehab assignment Tuesday, Aug. 19, with Triple-A Toledo. The Mud Hens will be playing against the Rochester Red Wings, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, in Rochester, New York.
Until then, Meadows is staying with the Tigers.
"The baseball stuff has to pick up," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said before Friday's game. "We had to either send him to Lakeland or bring him with us, and being here with the group and with our coaches was probably best."
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Before Friday's game, Meadows went through a series of outfield drills with bench coach George Lombard, among other return-to-play activities.
Meadows still needs to run the bases at maximum speed.
That's his final box to check.
"I feel good," Meadows said. "My legs feel good. I've been running a lot. I'm getting back feet back under me. ... I know when I'm ready, and I feel close to that."
In 2025, Meadows is hitting .200 with two home runs, 12 walks and 40 strikeouts in 38 games. He has been worth minus-2 defensive runs saved over 305⅓ innings in center field.
The 25-year-old missed the first 60 games with a musculocutaneous nerve injury in his upper right arm, which he suffered in late February during spring training.
He also dealt with a right hamstring strain in 2024.
"I want to get out there, just to compete, and especially to help out the games," Meadows said. "I want to save some of the guys' legs, all the outfielders. I think that'll better our team, for sure. Watching games is tough. I want to be out there. I still have an opportunity to finish strong and help the team win."
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Alex Cobb injury update
Right-hander Alex Cobb has been sidelined since the first week of February with injuries to both hips. He completed the fourth start of his rehab assignment Thursday, Aug. 14, with Triple-A Toledo, following three starts with High-A West Michigan.
The 37-year-old completed two scoreless innings with two walks and three strikeouts, throwing 45 pitches. In his first three rehab starts, he threw 31, 38 and 46 pitches, respectively.
In December 2024, the Tigers signed Cobb to a one-year, $15 million contract in free agency.
"Much of the same, but the first inning was a solid step forward," Hinch said, "and now we're just building capacity and hoping that he can continue to bounce back inning by inning. We're going to need multiple innings to keep moving him forward."
The Tigers have praised Cobb's dominant pitch arsenal as recently as a few weeks ago, but there appear to be some big concerns, including a sinker that averages 91.5 mph – down 2.3 mph from last season. The velocity is down on all his pitches, though he generated five whiffs on 15 swings in his fourth rehab start.
Cobb isn't healthy, but he continues to pitch through the pain.
"He's going to do his normal bullpen over the next couple of days, and then he'll get another outing toward the end of next week," Hinch said. "He's doing his best, and he showed some pretty good things, but also a similar fatigue level and some soreness as he continues. But I'm proud of him for trying."
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Parker Meadows: When rehab assignment might start
Category: Baseball
