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Jamhai Jones Gives Tigers Chance To Ease Parker Meadows' Return to Lineup

Originally posted on Detroit Tigers on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Detroit Tigers have been patiently waiting for center fielder Parker Meadows to make his return to the lineup.

Sidelined since July 28 because of a strained quad, the 2025 MLB regular season has been a bust for the 2018 second round pick. He also began the year on the injured list, dealing with upper right arm discomfort. There was a nerve issue impacting his ability to throw the baseball that was suffered during the team’s first spring training game.

As a result, he was placed on the 60-day injured list. He didn’t begin a rehab assignment until May and was eventually activated by the team shortly after that. Meadows would make his 2025 debut on June 2. His stay in the lineup wasn’t very long, getting injured agian less than two months later.

Parker Meadows Nearing Return to Tigers

Now, he is on the mend from the second injury. Sidelined for more than a month, he is at least nearing his return to the Major League club. According to manager A.J. Hinch, via Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic on X (formerly Twitter), Meadows will be playing in center field for Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday. Beyond that, things are still up in the air.

"We haven't determined if he's going to keep playing in Lehigh or potentially impact the White Sox series,” Hinch said when asked about what the next step is for his young outfielder.

A.J. Hinch said Parker Meadows will play center field in Triple A again tonight.

"We haven't determined if he's going to keep playing in Lehigh or potentially impact the White Sox series."
— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) September 3, 2025

Viewed as a major piece of the puzzle after his breakout 2024 campaign, Meadows has struggled mightily this season. The lack of spring training and constantly being injured certainly hasn’t helped him. In 38 games and 137 plate appearances, he has a .200/.270/.296 slash line with an OPS+ of 57. Those numbers are a farcry from what he put up last year when he had an OPS+ of 107 and 2.2 bWAR.

Jahmai Jones Has Been Major Asset for Tigers

He hasn’t made a positive impact on the field yet in 2025 with a -0.3 bWAR. He still offers something positive to the team with his above-average impact defensively, but it makes sense for the Tigers to take their time with him. There is no reason to rush his return, especially when Jones is providing the team with so many positives.

He has been a surprising contributor, making Meadows’s injuries and ineffectiveness a little easier to handle. Jones has produced a .267/.357/.525 slash line with an OPS+ of 140 in 115 plate appearances. He has five home runs, nine doubles and one triple with 17 RBI, providing the team with surprising run production as one of the unsung heroes of the team.