Meadows (nerve issue) out indefinitely; Tigers forced to 'wait and see'

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows, whose two-way play was a key component of Detroit¡¯s late-season charge to the postseason last year, is dealing with a nerve issue in his upper right arm and remains sidelined with no set timetable for a return, manager A.J. Hinch announced Saturday morning.

How long Meadows remains out, Hinch said, depends on how soon doctors can get his nerve working again. He hasn¡¯t been ruled out for Opening Day, but he can¡¯t do any baseball activity until the issue clears.

¡°My understanding is that we¡¯re in a wait-and-see [situation],¡± Hinch said. ¡°We¡¯ve got to get that nerve firing again for him to resume baseball activities. Could be short. Could linger a little bit. No one has a firm timetable on when that can be, but we feel like we¡¯re on a really good path now that we have the diagnosis [and] we now have a treatment plan.¡±

Meadows¡¯ absence, on top of Matt Vierling¡¯s right rotator cuff muscle strain that has ruled him out for Opening Day, is a double blow for a team that headed into Spring Training with momentum from last fall¡¯s run to within a game of an ALCS berth. Meadows was a big part of that, hitting safely in all seven postseason games while playing standout defense in center. He was an offensive catalyst atop the Tigers¡¯ batting order against right-handed pitchers, a role the team hopes he can reprise.

Meadows, speaking for the first time since suffering the injury on a throw from center field in last Saturday¡¯s Spring Training opener, said he felt pain immediately after the throw. The pain eventually subsided, but Meadows felt numbness in the upper arm and into the top of the forearm, and was unable to flex his biceps.

¡°Just a freak accident,¡± Meadows said.

After a couple rounds of MRIs and an examination from team doctors, Meadows was referred to Dr. Raj Singh, a Phoenix-based specialist in musculoskeletal and nerve conditions.

¡°He¡¯d seen a lot of similar things go on as far as baseball players,¡± Meadows said. ¡°It was a weight off my shoulders.¡±

The issue can be hard to identify, but by finding it quickly, doctors gave Meadows a chance to recover quickly. He already feels improvement with no pain and less tingling in the arm, but has to wait until it fully subsides.

¡°Basically just have to wait until the nerve wants to wake up,¡± Meadows said. ¡°It¡¯s very frustrating, but it¡¯s part of it, and I¡¯m going to stay positive throughout this whole process and take it day-to-day. Could be tomorrow, could be I guess three weeks from now. Really just don¡¯t know, but we have some of the best trainers in the world. I put my trust in them, and they¡¯re going to get me back out there as soon as possible.¡±

Meadows was a 2.2 bWAR player last season -- third-highest among Tigers position players -- despite playing in just 82 games. He spent a chunk of last season at Triple-A Toledo and missed four weeks on the injured list with a right hamstring strain shortly after his recall from the Minors in early July. He hit .244/.310/.433 with nine home runs, 28 RBIs and a 109 OPS+ for the season, but he hit .296/.340/.500 over the final two months.

With Meadows and Vierling sidelined for now, the Tigers are expected to give speedy switch-hitter Wenceel P¨¦rez an extended look in center field this spring; the converted infielder played primarily in right field last season while playing an underrated role in Detroit¡¯s late-season charge. Utility infielder Ryan Kreidler could also see time in center. All-Star left fielder Riley Greene is an option to move back to center, his regular position when he began his big league career, but the Tigers would prefer to keep him in left.

If Meadows is eventually ruled out for Opening Day, the Tigers could look to add a center fielder via free agency or trade, but they have time to gauge their options. The free-agent market is thin for now, but with several veteran center fielders in other camps as non-roster invitees, and others out of Minor League options, the Tigers can benefit from patience to see how Spring Training competitions play out.