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Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows slugged his first homer of the season on Wednesday in a 5-4 loss to the visiting Texas Rangers. It was a welcomed swing for the 24-year-old who has struggled mightily to begin the season. Following a big spring training, Meadows is now hitting just .077 (3-for-39) with a triple, a homer, and eight walks with a hefty 17 strikeouts across 47 trips to the plate. His excellent defense in center field has kept him in the lineup fairly regularly to begin the season but it's tough to see him sticking around in the big leagues if the bat can't turn around. He hit .232 with three homers and eight steals across 37 games in his MLB debut last season.
Detroit Tigers outfield prospect Max Clark went 3-for-5 with four RBI for Single-A Lakeland on Wednesday. Clark now has 10 RBI on the season, but is still searching for his first home run. The 19-year-old was the third overall pick in the 2023 draft and is a consensus Top-15 prospect. Clark possesses the ability to hit for contact, swipe bases and play great defense, but he still needs to improve his power. As his body fills out and he ascends through the Tigers system, the power could start developing. Although he is a few years away from helping redraft managers, he is a name that should be strongly considered in dynasty leagues.
Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter went 2-for-3 with a double, triple and RBI in Tuesday's victory over the Texas Rangers. Carpenter had a strong game, but was pulled in the bottom of the eighth inning with a lefty on the mound. Carpenter has had a good season with a .302 batting average to go along with two homers and five RBI, but has gotten the majority of his playing time with right-handed pitchers on the mound. Carpenter has always showed plenty of power, but it hurts that the Tigers won't give him a chance against lefties. As long as managers can deal with him sitting against lefties, he should be rostered in deeper leagues with daily lineups.
Detroit Tigers right-handed pitching prospect Sawyer Gipson-Long (forearm) is getting further evaluation for forearm tightness, which usually doesn't bode well. The 26-year-old is also battling a left-groin strain, so he's not going to return to minor-league action for a while. The Tigers' No. 10 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, left a rehab start with Single-A Lakeland when he experienced right-forearm tightness. Gipson-Long made four starts for the Tigers in his major-league debut in 2023 and impressed by going 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with eight walks and 26 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched. With Detroit having more rotation depth this year, there's no way they are going to rush Gipson-Long back to the big leagues if his forearm injury doesn't require surgery.
Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows is getting the day off on Monday with the team facing the visiting Texas Rangers. With Meadows out, Matt Vierling will start in center field for Detroit and bat fifth against Rangers right-hander Michael Lorenzen. This will be the second time in the last three games that Meadows will start on the bench against a right-handed pitcher. It makes sense, considering the 24-year-old is ice-cold to start the year. He's gone just 2-for-33 in the early going and may have to get going soon if he wants to maintain a regular role as the Tigers' center fielder. Vierling has never faced Lorenzen in his career but has gone 11-for-37 (.297) with a home run and four RBI in his first 12 games for Detroit in 2024.