Detroit Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows will be hospitalized overnight in Minneapolis after being carted off the field due to a scary collision in the bottom of the eighth inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon.
Meadows was playing center field and Riley Greene was playing left field when Twins hitter Josh Bell hit a slicing fly ball toward the left-center field gap. Both outfielders converged on the ball, and Greene made the catch but his head clipped the side of Meadows’ face as the players collided.
Meadows fell to the outfield grass and remained still for a few moments as teammates and trainers came to check on him. He rolled onto his back as trainers attended to him.
“That was an ugly, scary one, and there’s a lot of concern for him,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said after Detroit’s 3-1 loss. “When we got out there, it looked like he had bit his lip or inside his mouth, so there was some blood, and he was pretty out of it. …
“Those are scary collisions. You don’t know what you’re going to get when you get there. Obviously we’re going to get him checked out for everything, but this one worries me.”
Eventually, Meadows was able to sit up and gingerly get to his feet. He walked slowly a few steps to a cart that trainers had requested to take him off the field.
Greene was deeply concerned after the contest.
“It was a terrible feeling,” Greene said. “I still feel terrible.”
Javier Baez moved from shortstop to center field to replace Meadows. Kevin McGonigle entered the game to play shortstop.
Meadows went 0-for-3 and is hitting .250 with two RBIs and three stolen bases in 12 games. The 26-year-old is in his fourth season with the Tigers.
The Tigers open a three-game series against the visiting Miami Marlins on Friday and it’s still to be determined if Meadows will be able to play during the series.
But Detroit right-hander Jack Flaherty knows it’s not too soon for everyone to pull for Meadows.
“You just hope everybody has thoughts and prayers with him, and he’s going to be all right,” Flaherty said. “He’s a tough guy. We continue to pray over him. Tough way to end the series. Just pray to God for Parker. He’s as good of a guy as they come. Scary situation.”
–Field Level Media
