These Tigers players' roster spots are in danger with Parker Meadows nearing return

The Detroit Tigers got some positive injury news on Tuesday as center fielder Parker Meadows was cleared to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo.

Meadows has been sidelined since spring training with a right musculocutaneous nerve injury that he suffered on a throw from the outfield during the Tigers' Grapefruit League opener on Feb. 22. Since he opened the season on the 60-day injured list, he won't be eligible to join the Tigers until May 26 – and it will probably be even later than that, considering he needs time to ramp up to midseason form.

With Meadows joining fellow center field options Matt Vierling and Wenceel Pérez in Toledo, the Tigers will soon face a roster logjam in the outfield that will require one or more players to forfeit their spots on the active roster. It's a good problem to have for the Tigers, but it's less than ideal for the players whose days in the big leagues could be numbered.

These Tigers players' roster spots are in danger with Parker Meadows nearing a return

Justyn-Henry Malloy

Justyn-Henry Malloy did not make the Tigers' Opening Day roster, but he was called up from Triple-A Toledo just a few days after the season began when Gleyber Torres landed on the IL with an oblique strain. Malloy has since appeared in 38 games for the Tigers, primarily in a DH role, while also making the occasional start in right field.

Malloy is slashing a rather pedestrian .203/.350/.291 with a home run, 18 walks and 14 RBI in 100 trips to the plate this season. For a bat-first outfielder, those numbers likely won't be enough for Malloy to earn his stay on the Tigers' active roster once Meadows returns.

Akil Baddoo

Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo landed on waivers after a frustrating 2024 season that saw him bat .137, but Detroit brought him back on a minor league deal for 2025. After Baddoo opened the season on the injured list with a hand fracture, the Tigers selected his contract from Triple-A Toledo last week and added him to the big league roster. The corresponding move sent Jace Jung back to Triple-A.

Baddoo put on a defensive clinic in his first start in left field for the Tigers this season in Sunday's win over the Toronto Blue Jays, and he has a pair of hits, a walk, an RBI and a stolen base in 13 trips to the plate over three games. That's good for a .167/.231/.250 slash line in an admittedly small sample size, but his ability to play center field in addition to the corners could give him an edge over Malloy in an inevitable roster crunch.

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