DETROIT -- This is the Parker Meadows that Tigers fans remember from last fall, the super athlete whose two-way play lifted the Tigers on their run to the playoffs and then the Division Series. They could use that boost again.
One year ago to the day, Meadows hit the go-ahead grand slam that capped a comeback win in San Diego and provided one of the signature moments of Detroit’s incredible stretch run. On Friday, his game-tying two-run homer on the first Major League pitch he’d seen in over five weeks wasn’t meant to mark the occasion, but it was a welcome sight for fans and teammates who had been waiting seemingly all season for him to make a similar impact.
So, too, was the diving catch he made a few innings later, his long strides making up ground in the vast Comerica Park outfield before hitting it to take away an extra-base hit in the left-center gap.
“Just glad to get back out there with the guys,” Meadows said. “It felt good, felt free, just running around out there. It feels really good to be back.”
It wasn’t enough to rescue the Tigers from a persistent White Sox attack in a 7-5 loss on Friday night at Comerica Park, Detroit’s eighth loss in its last 11 games. But it was enough to remind the Tigers how Meadows can make a difference moving forward.
“We talk about how he can impact this team, and that’s a lot of what we missed,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Even without the homer, the walk, the energy in center field, being able to run down a ball that seemingly was going to hit the ground pretty quickly, and he comes out of nowhere.”
Meadows, out since the end of July with a right quad strain and playing in just his 39th game of this injury-shortened season, celebrated the anniversary of his San Diego slam by jumping the first-pitch fastball he saw from Sox starter Shane Smith and lining it into the right-field seats. Meadows' third home run of the season was his first since June 22, and it tied the game in the third inning amidst a slow but steady drip of runs against Tigers starter Jack Flaherty.
It was the kind of swing the Tigers had been waiting to see from Meadows while he was on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo for the previous week and a half. They took their time with him, hoping to ensure he’d be ready to hit upon return. A line-drive double off the right-field wall at Lehigh Valley on Thursday was a sign, enough to get him on a Friday morning flight back to Detroit.
“It felt good,” Meadows said. “On the rehab stint, my timing had been a little off, but obviously tonight it felt really good.”
The White Sox had just taken the lead on an Andrew Benintendi homer off Bailey Horn when Meadows provided a reminder of his value in the field and a sign of his healthy legs. He reached a sprint speed of 28.9 feet per second in chasing down a Michael A. Taylor line drive to left-center, culminating in a diving grab in the gap.
“Just got a good jump on it and tried to make a play,” Meadows said. “It felt good to do that.”
It’s the kind of all-around play that proved critical to the Tigers down the stretch last year. His aforementioned grand slam was one of four homers he provided over his final 22 games to go with 15 RBIs and a .299 average (26-for-87). He added another homer and three runs scored during the postseason.
What was hoped to be a springboard for Meadows into 2025 has instead become a reminder of what he can do when healthy. A nerve issue in Meadows’ upper right arm delayed his start to the season until June. After a slow start, he was starting to show signs of getting comfortable at the plate when the quad strain halted him once again.
Now that he’s back, he won’t necessarily play every day. He’ll likely sit Saturday against White Sox lefty Martín Pérez, then return Sunday against right-hander Davis Martin. The Tigers will likely miss Yankees lefty Max Fried next week, but still see fellow southpaw Carlos Rodón. The play of Javier Báez gives them options in center against lefties.
“The better you play, the more you play,” Hinch said. “But if getting Parker back brings that speed, the defense and the bat that we’ve been accustomed to, especially the latter part of last season and parts of this year, he’ll force his way into the lineup.”