Tiny gains, 'rough times' in Meadows anxiety fight

Detroit Tigers outfielder Austin Meadows has made “incremental gains” amid “rough times” as he continues treatment for anxiety and is focusing on his mental health, manager AJ Hinch said Saturday.

Meadows played in just six games this season before landing on the injured list in April.

Hinch on Saturday said Meadows, who is on the 60-day injured list, hasn’t been doing baseball activities while he’s been in Tampa, Florida, and there’s “no definitive plan” regarding his return.

“Austin has been getting treatment at home,” Hinch told reporters. “He’s also traveled to a few different places to continue trying to get better. He’s seen some incremental gains. He’s also had some rough times.

“… We’re still hopeful that he’s going to get up and running and going. It hasn’t been a smooth road for him.”

Meadows, 28, also missed most of last season because of anxiety as well as vertigo, Achilles tendinitis and COVID. He appeared in just 36 games in 2022 after he was acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Meadows was the ninth overall pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013. He has played in parts of six major league seasons, with 70 home runs and a career .259 batting average in 417 games.