The Detroit Tigers have placed outfielder Austin Meadows on the 10-day injured list.
He is dealing with anxiety.
Meadows, 27, has stepped away from the Tigers because of mental health struggles for the second time in seven months.
“Last year was what it was,” Meadows said April 1, two days after Opening Day and one week before landing on the injured list. “I learned a lot from that perspective of the mental health side. For me, when it comes to pregame and recovery postgame, I’m trying to be back to as normal as possible. Be me and just try to worry about baseball. That’s the goal.”
MORE ON MEADOWS: Tigers’ Austin Meadows describes ‘anxiety monster’ last year, his ‘huge step forward’
MEADOWS BROS: Tigers brothers Austin, Parker Meadows arrive for epic spring training they won’t forget
In early September, he officially paused his playing career for the remainder of the 2022 season to address his mental health issues. He spent the offseason transforming his mental and physical health, and coming into spring training, he felt prepared to navigate the 162-game schedule.
Scott Harris, the Tigers’ president of baseball operations, released a statement before Saturday’s game.
“The Tigers fully support Austin’s decision to step away from the team and prioritize his mental health,” Harris said. “As an organization, we have taken many steps to provide and destigmatize mental health resources, and we will do more to help our players tackle the mental and physical challenges they face on a daily basis. We commend Austin for confronting these challenges head-on and ask our fans to join us in supporting him through every step of his journey back to the field.”
The Tigers recalled outfielder Akil Baddoo from Triple-A Toledo.
Baddoo started in left field and served as the leadoff hitter in Saturday’s game against the Boston Red Sox.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.