Will Parker Meadows’ Return Give Tigers the Midseason Lift They’ve Been Missing?

Despite still holding a significant lead in the American League Central, it’s hard to say that the Detroit Tigers have been playing well of late.

For most of the first half of the season, the Tigers were the team to beat in the AL. They established a large lead in the division, essentially wrapping up a playoff spot before the All-Star break.

Since then, things have gone a bit south for Detroit. Coming out of the break, they lost eight of nine games. They made a few additions at the trade deadline but didn’t make a splash that many were hoping for.

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While this is still a playoff team and could achieve some great things this year, there is reason for concern.

The starting rotation has been hit hard by injuries, and their bullpen has been in the middle of the pack. Furthermore, the lineup has also come back down to earth a little bit. However, the team is hopeful that a returning player can be the spark that they need.

Alden Gonzalez of ESPN recently wrote about Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows being a player who could give them a boost down the stretch.

“As the Tigers march toward their first division title in 11 years and vie for a first-round bye, they find themselves longing for Meadows in several ways. The hope is that he'll be a much better hitter than he showed earlier this season.”

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Even though there is no exact timetable for when he might return, the hope is that Meadows will be back by the end of August.

Will Meadows Provide a Spark?