Detroit Tigers defensive player Austin Meadows He will remain out of the squad for the rest of the season as he revealed in a post on Friday that he is “struggling with my mental health” as well as a myriad of previous injuries.
“What I have said to very few people is that I have also been struggling with my mental health in a way that has prolonged my time away from the game I love so much,” Meadows said in his statement. “I’ve been dealing with this especially with a great team of professionals, but I need to keep working hard off the field in order to feel mentally healthy.”
– Austin Meadows (@austin_meadows) September 2, 2022
Meadows, 27, has made 36 appearances this season, missing time with vertigo, COVID-19 and Achilles tendinitis, according to his post. He’s been around the team but hasn’t played in a game since mid-June. He has had 675 OPS in 147 board games this season.
“While returning to the club over the past few weeks, and planning to stay with the club until the end of the season, I am still not ready to return to the pitch,” he said.
Meadows were acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays just days before opening day this year. He hit 27 times in 2021 and hit 328 on May 1 but lost time that month due to dizziness. He struggled on his comeback, going 5 for 27 before both Achilles were strained and put on IL. Then came news of his off-field experiences.
“I am very grateful to my family, teammates and the LTTE for supporting me through this,” Meadows said. “I can’t do this on my own, and I hope by sharing my experience I can touch at least one person who may be facing their own struggles and encourage them to reach out to someone for help.”
Meadows was the ninth overall pick for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013. He played in five major league seasons.
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