Devastating Detroit Tigers Injury Updates Don’t Look Good for Two Stars

The Detroit Tigers got some more bad injury news on Monday.

Feb 22, 2025; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows (22) throws to the infield during the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers have revealed new injury updates surrounding two of their star outfielders, and it certainly does not sound like either is going to be returning anytime soon.

As first reported by Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, the Tigers have placed defensive standout center fielder Parker Meadows on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move with the signing of free agent outfielder Manuel Margot.

Minutes later, Stavenhagen reported on an update from president of baseball operations Scott Harris about one of Meadows' potential temporary replacements - versatile utility man Wenceel Pérez - which revealed Pérez is dealing with inflammation in his lower back and will receive an injection later this week but is expected to be out for at least a month.

Meadows - who has been dealing with an issue in the nerve of his throwing shoulder - has been out of spring training for the better part of the last month, so it's not exactly a huge shock to see him moved to the 60-day IL, though it is incredibly disappointing.

One of the best defensive outfielders in all of baseball, Meadows began to take the next step at the plate in his 82 games in 2024 as well. Slashing .244/.310/.433 with nine home runs and 28 RBI in effectively half a season, hopes were high that this could be the year he ascends to true stardom.

While that still could be the case, the campaign is certainly not off to a hot start for the 25-year-old.

As for Pérez, his role on the Major League roster began to feel like a lock when both Meadows as well as ironman Matt Vierling went down with injuries, but now it looks like it's going to be up to Margot and others to fill that role for the time being.

Pérez made his debut during the 2024 season and wound up being a critical piece, playing in 112 games at multiple positions and slashing .242/.300/.383 while standing out on the defensive side of the ball.

Missing both players for the foreseeable future does not exactly bode well for a team hoping to ascend this season from fun underdog story after last year's miracle run to legitimate American League contender.

Detroit gets their season started on Thursday on the West Coast against probably the toughest test possible in the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

That test gets even tougher now with two players expected to play key roles down for a lengthy period.