The Detroit Tigers are facing an unexpected hurdle as center fielder Parker Meadows has been sidelined for nearly three weeks with a nerve issue in his right upper arm. The 25-year-old revealed that the injury involves his musculocutaneous nerve, which has caused some numbness in his forearm, although he emphasized that the strength in his arm is still intact.
“It’s the musculocutaneous nerve,” Meadows said as quoted by the Detroit Free Press.
“Still a little numb on the forearm, but I think it’s definitely tolerable,” Meadows said Wednesday morning. “Might be something I have to fight through because the strength is still there.”
“I’ve been hitting, and I’ve been doing some glove work,” Meadows said. “Throwing has been a little delayed.”
Timeline for Recovery and Impact on Opening Day
Manager A.J. Hinch confirmed that Meadows isn’t swinging the bat at full speed and isn’t ready for game action yet. Hinch stated that Meadows is making gradual progress, but he won’t be ready for games until the nerve fully “wakes up.”
“No, he’s not full go,” Hinch said before Wednesday’s game. “He’s just making incremental steps, whatever that means. And he’s not ready for games. He’s not close to games right now, but that can change as soon as soon as we shake this nerve up, wake it up. Things are better than they were, but still not full go.”
Bottom Line: Time Will Tell
With Opening Day approaching, there’s a growing concern that Meadows could miss the start of the season if the injury doesn’t improve soon. Last season, he posted a .244 batting average with nine home runs and 76 strikeouts over 82 games. The Tigers had high hopes for him to build on that performance this season, but his current injury status leaves his availability for the start of the season uncertain. The team will continue to monitor his progress in the coming days, hoping for a speedy recovery.
