Detroit Tigers CF Parker Meadows 'trying to find a groove' as playing time decreases

Yahoo

4 days ago

PITTSBURGH — Detroit Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows experienced "Up North" in Michigan for the first time during the All-Star break with a trip to Traverse City.
His review?
"It's great in the summer," Meadows said.
But the All-Star break has come and gone.
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With two months until the playoffs, Meadows has seen his playing time decrease − a reflection of his struggles at the plate, with less contact and more strikeouts. The 25-year-old missed the first two months of the season with a musculocutaneous nerve injury that sidelined him from late February until early June.
"I'm trying to find a groove," Meadows said Sunday, July 20, before the Tigers' series finale against the Texas Rangers. "I'm looking forward to every day, and I'm still keeping that confidence. This game, as you know, it's crazy up and down. I'm just riding the wave."
In 2025, Meadows is hitting .191 with two home runs, 10 walks and 38 strikeouts in 34 games, posting a .543 OPS. He hit a double off Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes on Monday, July 21 — his first extra-base hit since June 22.
So far, his performance has fallen short of expectations.
"It looks like his timing has not stayed consistent," manager A.J. Hinch said before Sunday's game. "So his barrel contact has not been consistent. There's been some swing and miss. And he's trying to find it."
"I think the timing is starting to come around," Meadows said. "It's just a matter of finding a barrel. Once I do find that barrel, I think everything is going to click and roll for me. I'm just one at-bat away."
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Meanwhile, Meadows' playing time continues to dwindle.
Meadows, as a left-handed hitter, used to bat leadoff against right-handed pitchers and ninth against left-handed pitchers. These days, he bats near the bottom of the lineup against righties − and sits against lefties.
"You just try to win the game," Hinch said. "Anytime you're giving somebody playing time, you're taking it away from somebody else. Matt Vierling would sit if Parker plays. Against a lefty, that doesn't make a lot of sense."
Remember how Meadows is staying confident in himself?
The Tigers are confident in him, too.
"We certainly believe in him," Hinch said.
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This isn't the first time Meadows has endured a rough stretch.
In 2024, he hit .096 with a .443 OPS in 32 games, prompting the Tigers to option him to Triple-A Toledo. He spent two months with the Mud Hens, working on the timing of his swing by adjusting the position of his hands in his setup. He returned to the Tigers and hit .299 with an .857 OPS over his final 50 games.
A return to Triple-A in 2025 could reignite Meadows. For now, though, he remains with the Tigers in the big leagues.
When Meadows plays, he almost always provides above-average defense in center field − though he admitted he has been "a little sluggish" lately. Still, he feels like he hasn't let his struggles at the plate affect his performance in the field.
"Defense never slumps," Meadows said. "I like to think of it that way. Missing the whole first half of the season was tough, but now, no excuses. I'm trying to do anything I can to help the team win.
"When you're not hitting, you got to try to find ways to help the team. I'll continue to try to do that."
Contact Evan Petzold at [e-mail] or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Parker Meadows continues to struggle, loses playing time