Meadows puts in the work to get healthy for Opening Day

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The slumbering nerve in Parker Meadows¡¯ upper right arm has apparently started to awaken.

¡°You know how groggy you are before you get your coffee? I feel like that's it,¡± Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said with a slight laugh.

While progress has been slow, it has allowed the Tigers' center fielder to at least see the light at the end of the tunnel in what has been an unnerving situation that began with a painful bicep following a throw in the Tigers¡¯ Grapefruit League opener two weeks ago.

Meadows has started doing light modified baseball activity, according to the Tigers¡¯ latest injury report released Friday. That work includes defensive work and conditioning, but no throwing yet.

How the nerve progresses over the next week or so will likely determine Meadows¡¯ chances of being ready for Opening Day in just under three weeks. But the more conditioning work Meadows can do in the meantime, the sooner he should be able to progress once the nerve fully awakens, even if he needs time to build up his arm strength again.

Like Meadows, fellow Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling has resumed light modified baseball activity as he works his way back from a right rotator cuff muscle strain. He¡¯s slated to be reevaluated sometime next week for a more complete resumption. He is not expected to be ready for Opening Day in any case.

Wenceel rests his back

The Tigers had been ramping up Wenceel Perez in center field with Meadows and Vierling sidelined, but that plan hit an injury obstacle this week when P¨¦rez reported low back tightness. He hasn¡¯t played since last Sunday against the Pirates as part of his prescribed rest, but the Tigers expect him to complete full baseball activity this weekend before getting him back in the field.

P¨¦rez has a history of low back issues from his time coming up in the Tigers farm system. His 2022 season ended in mid-August at Double-A Erie due to a lower back injury, and inflammation sidelined him for much of Spring Training in 2023, denying him any Grapefruit League game appearances in his first big league camp.

Madden suffers rotator cuff strain

Ty Madden¡¯s last outing Monday raised concerns, not just for three runs allowed on three hits and two walks in two innings, but also a drop of two miles per hour from his average fastball velocity. That concern was justified; the right-hander was diagnosed with a right rotator cuff strain and has been shut down from throwing.

Madden will not be ready for the start of the regular season, according to Hinch. The former first-round Draft pick had been in competition for a spot in Detroit¡¯s rotation or bullpen.

¡°His last outing, he came out of that sore, and we had him get looked at,¡± Hinch said. ¡°He needs to be shut down for a little bit and then rebuilt back up, so he will not make the season. But we feel like we caught it at a good time, where we expect him to have a good season.¡±

Twin Tork Bombs

Though Spencer Torkelson has been a part of Tigers Spring Training since 2021, he hadn¡¯t homered at Joker Marchant Stadium. He had several long drives that just missed in years past. In that sense, Friday¡¯s two-homer game was overdue. In another sense, it was a sign of Torkelson¡¯s progression as he tries to win an Opening Day roster spot despite Colt Keith taking over at first base.

Torkelson¡¯s second-inning drive was an opposite-field shot that barely cleared the top of the wall at the right-field patio. The 342-foot loft off O¡¯s starter Dean Kremer would¡¯ve been a home run in just two Major League parks ¨C Yankee Stadium and the Rays¡¯ temporary home at George M. Steinbrenner Field ¨C but it was fair play for some of Torkelson¡¯s tough luck here.

His fourth-inning drive to left was classic Tork, a 382-foot drive to the berm off a Kremer splitter.

With three home runs, Torkelson has topped his total in his previous four Spring Trainings combined.

¡°I feel great,¡± Torkelson said. ¡°I¡¯m being athletic and putting a good swing on the ball, and I¡¯m being disciplined with my approach. That¡¯s what it takes.¡±

A-Mize-ing split

Casey Mize continued his scoreless spring with three innings of one-hit ball and five strikeouts on just 35 pitches, including 11 swinging strikes. O¡¯s hitters whiffed six times in as many swings off his splitter, which he continues to throw hard, averaging 89.7 mph Friday.

¡°It looks more like a fastball the harder I throw it,¡± Mize said. ¡°I¡¯m thinking over the plate and down and letting it rip. I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s been better in my time as a professional.¡±