When bad becomes worse. Spring training has taken its toll on the Detroit Tigers' outfield in 2025, and that trend continued on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers lost 4-2 on Sunday to Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies, but more importantly, the Tigers may have lost another outfielder. One of Detroit's top prospects, Max Clark, collided with Justyn-Henry Malloy in the fifth inning.
Clark, 20, dove low for a ball hit into the gap in the fifth inning, crashing into Malloy. Both players remained down for quite some time before gathering themselves. Clark was able to remain in the game, which is good news, but Malloy was forced to leave.
Bryson Stott hits an Inside-The-Park Home Run after Max Clark and Justyn-Henry Malloy collide in the outfield. pic.twitter.com/4nC64Nl7Qb
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) March 23, 2025
Luckily for Tigers fans, manager A.J. Hinch said after the game that "everybody's fine." So, crisis averted for the Tigers.
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The Detroit Tigers are set to open the regular season on Thursday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers without a pair of starting outfielders.
Justyn-Henry Malloy, Jahmai Jones, Spencer Torkelson, and Wenceel Perez, to name a few, are vying for a final roster spot with the Tigers. The Tigers also recently signed veteran Manuel Margot to a one-year major league deal worth $1.3 million with the ability to earn up to $2.5 million.
Margot, 30, will join the Tigers in San Francisco on Sunday night ahead of their exhibition games against the Giants on Monday and Tuesday. He's expected to be a part of the 26-man roster for Thursday's season opener in Los Angeles when they face the Dodgers. Margot hit .238 last season with Minnesota. He hit four home runs and drove in 31 while maintaining a -0.9 WAR.
Detroit's sensational defender, Parker Meadows, is currently sidelined with a nerve issue in his throwing shoulder. The 25-year-old was recently prescribed more rest and is not permitted to throw for at least the next four weeks. It's a tough blow to Detroit's already thin lineup. In the meantime, Meadows can do some fielding, running, and light hitting.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch recently talked about Meadows' status but embraced being the bearer of bad news.
“There's no damage to the nerve, which is encouraging,” Hinch said, h/t ESPN. “But not all appointments come with great news. It's also not firing at the level that we need to advance.”
The Tigers are playing the waiting game. They're waiting for that nerve to wake up, so to speak.
"It’s just time,” Hinch said, h/t Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press. “I don't really know what that means after — when or if he gets cleared to do full activities, but obviously, we're hoping sometime between now and then, there's a significant improvement, and we're ready to hit the ground running, literally.”
The Tigers don't expect this to be a long-term issue, and Meadows is expected to recover fully; it will just take time.
The Tigers are also without the services of Matt Vierling. The Swiss army knife was expected to play every day in 2025 in his usual utility role-playing all over the diamond. Vierling was thought to play a ton of third base in '25 after the Tigers failed to secure the services of Alex Bregman in free agency. Vierling was also expected to play his fair share of right field and spell Meadows in center field in certain situations.
Evan Petzold of Detroit Free Press recently posted an update from the organization, which said Vierling "initiated a hitting progression earlier this week and has been cleared to advance his shoulder strengthening exercises. He is also completing conditioning, defensive drills, and rehab daily."
Luckily for the Tigers, both Clark and Malloy are okay after the collision.
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