Detroit Tigers bring back center fielder Parker Meadows from Triple-A Toledo

CINCINNATI — Parker Meadows is coming back to the big leagues.

The Detroit Tigers are calling up Meadows, an elite defender in center field, from Triple-A Toledo ahead of Friday's opener of a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park, according to multiple sources who are not at liberty to discuss roster moves publicly.

It will be Meadows' first game for the Tigers since May 6.

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The Tigers previously optioned Meadows, who maintains rookie status, on May 7 to Triple-A Toledo — exactly 59 days ago — because he struggled on offense. He made the Opening Day roster out of spring training, only to hit .096 with two home runs, a .443 OPS and a 37.7% strikeout rate in 32 games, while being worth plus-4 defensive runs saved in center field.

In Toledo, Meadows received everyday playing time.

The 24-year-old hit .298 with eight home runs, a .905 OPS and a 19% strikeout rate in 47 games, also recording 19 stolen bases in 24 attempts. He didn't get on base enough with the Tigers to steal bases like he did with the Mud Hens — limiting him to three steals in four big-league attempts — but he has elite speed.

If Meadows stays with the Tigers for the rest of the season, he will finish a few days shy of a full year of MLB service time , meaning his projected free agency gets delayed from after the 2029 season to after the 2030 season. (If he stays up for each of the next two seasons, he will qualify for Super Two status after the 2026 campaign, meaning he will be eligible for four years of salary arbitration from 2027-30.)

Meadows currently has 82 days of service time: 42 days in 2023 and 40 days in 2024. He needs 90 more days to meet the required 172 days for a full year of MLB service, but there are only 87 days remaining in the 2024 season.

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On Thursday, Meadows finished 2-for-4 with one walk and one stolen base with Triple-A Toledo. The Mud Hens beat the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, approximately 110 miles from Cincinnati, where Meadows will join the Tigers for Friday's game against the Reds.

Meadows has shown an ability to reach base with Toledo, getting on safely in 11 of his past 12 games, including a four-game hitting streak. He hit .324 with 17 walks and 21 strikeouts in his past 25 games, dating to June 5.

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Meadows struggled to hit fastballs in his first 32 games with the Tigers, posting a .077 batting average, .076 expected batting average and 27.7% whiff rate on heaters. He couldn't hit fastballs because his swing wasn't on time for them.

That's why the Tigers demoted Meadows to Toledo.

His performance on fastballs was significantly better with the Mud Hens : .404 batting average, .286 expected batting average and 14.1% whiff rate. He also hit .308 on fastballs that reached at least 95 mph . But Meadows struggled against breaking balls at the Triple-A level , hitting .170 with a .158 expected batting average and a 35.3% whiff rate.

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Meadows will be challenged to avoid whiffing breaking balls while keeping his swing on time to hit fastballs. He hasn't accomplished both of those tasks at the same time at any level in 2024. In the first big-league go-around, pitchers beat him with up-and-away fastballs and below-zone breaking balls.

Meadows — the No. 44 overall pick in the 2018 draft — is a .182 hitter with five home runs, 28 walks (12.2% walk rate) and 69 strikeouts (30% strikeout rate) across 69 games in his MLB career, spanning parts of two seasons.

If Meadows finally hits, he will stay in center field for the Tigers for the rest of the 2024 season. The latest roster move marks his second opportunity to stick in the big leagues after making his MLB debut in August 2023 .

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers bring back center fielder Parker Meadows from Triple-A Toledo