Meadows brothers relish Spring Training as teammates

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Austin and Parker Meadows had never been teammates until Saturday. Four-plus years apart in age, they couldn’t play together growing up. Now, not only are the brothers both Detroit Tigers outfielders this spring, they’re carpool buddies.

“Our parents are in town,” Parker said, “so I’m staying at [Austin’s] house for the weekend.”

Fitting, after all the years of little brother following big brother around that they arrived at Tigers camp together. Fitting, too, that after older brother Austin made the 45-minute drive from his home near Tampa, younger brother Parker carried bats and gear into the complex as Austin, hands free, walked in front.

They received hugs from the same teammates as they walked into the clubhouse at Joker Marchant Stadium. They settled into their lockers, about a half-dozen spots apart, and got situated. Minutes later, they took the field together.

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“Playing catch with him was kind of weird,” Austin said. “This is like my sixth big league Spring Training, and this is his first. So just being able to show him the ropes and show him what it’s all about is pretty special.”

Both arrive with something to prove. While Parker tries to build on his breakout season at Double-A Erie and show he’s ready to become the player the Tigers envisioned when they picked him in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft, Austin’s Spring Training is a fresh start to put a trying '22 campaign behind him.

“For me, it’s proving to myself that I can get back to my original form and back to being me,” Austin said. “Obviously, I had a lot of success over in Tampa Bay, so it’s just bringing that over here to the Tigers and showing them what I’m about. I wasn’t really able to do that last year with the injuries and everything else going on."

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The Tigers traded for the older brother at the end of Spring Training, hoping to fill some of the void left by Riley Greene’s broken foot. Parker was already headed to High-A West Michigan, but he told his older brother what to expect in the organization.

No one expected the season that followed. Though Austin provided quality at-bats for a Tigers team that had far too few of them in a disappointing start, he went homerless before an illness in May led to vertigo and a stint on the injured list. He returned for 10 days in June before going on the IL with COVID-19, then battled Achilles strains in both feet.

While Parker opened eyes in Erie, Austin went back to the Minor Leagues for a pair of rehab assignments at Triple-A Toledo. The procession of injuries and a struggle with mental health led to player and team agreeing to shut him down for the season.

Austin Meadows continued to work out at Comerica Park, but at different times of the day, separate from most of the team.

“The Tigers were really supportive,” he said.

So, too, was Parker, who was busy helping lead Erie to the Eastern League championship series.

“It was awesome that he came out and said something,” said Parker, the Tigers' No. 17 prospect per MLB Pipeline. “I was just letting him know that everybody’s got his back. He’s got all the support that he needs, and obviously, I’m always there for him.

“I’m excited to see what he does this year. I think it’s going to be a big year for him.”

While Austin became a father for the first time -- he and his wife welcomed daughter Adelynne this offseason -- he attacked his workouts to remove 15-20 pounds of fat that had accumulated through his downtime, replacing it with muscle. He approached his mental health with a similar aggressiveness.

“I think it’s constant work,” Austin said. “I think anyone will say that going through something. I have a great team of therapists, people that helped me learn certain things and learn how to handle situations when something might be popping up. It’s cool, last year when I posted stuff about mental health, how many people reached out. It’s pretty cool to see all the outreach and notice that you’re not alone and there’s people going through stuff that just don’t talk about it.”

If there was any nervousness about returning to camp, having little brother around made it easier.

“He’s always been my role model,” Parker said. “At a young age, watching him on the field, whether I was playing with Power Rangers on the side or riding a scooter, I’ve been watching him my whole life. The fact that we’re now teammates is surreal.”