Friday, December 05

DETROIT -- Mother Nature wasn’t cooperating with the Tigers’ rehab plans for their injured outfielders. So the club put them on the move.

After bad weather postponed Triple-A Toledo’s scheduled home game Tuesday night and threatened its Wednesday morning matinee, the Tigers sent Matt Vierling, Parker Meadows and Wenceel Pérez to Single-A Lakeland to play for the Flying Tigers on Wednesday evening at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The trip south speaks to the lengths the Tigers are ready to go to get closer to full strength sooner than later and bolster a Detroit squad that boasts MLB’s best record while taking on the division-rival Guardians this weekend at Comerica Park.

“We had a really tough call with the weather,” manager A.J. Hinch said, “because the worst thing was no game at all.”

Vierling, sidelined since the second game of Spring Training with a right rotator cuff muscle strain, appears likely to return from the injured list at some point this weekend. He has played nine games on a rehab assignment with Toledo, batting 6-for-28 (.214) with two home runs and four RBIs, but the Tigers wanted him to get a little more work at third base in addition to right field.

Meanwhile, Pérez – out since late in Spring Training with lumbar spine inflammation – was scheduled to join Toledo on rehab after playing two games for High-A West Michigan last week on the road in Fort Wayne. Meadows, out since the first game of Spring Training with a nerve issue in his upper right arm, was cleared to begin a rehab assignment after taking live batting practice against injured Tigers pitcher Casey Mize on Monday at Comerica Park.

Vierling, Pérez and Meadows were all scheduled to play in Toledo on Tuesday night, with Meadows at DH, but the game was rained out. The Mud Hens are at home all week, but the same weather system put their game Wednesday morning – an 11 a.m. start for a School Education Day promotion – in jeopardy. The Mud Hens ended up playing seven innings before rain ended the game early.

West Michigan and Double-A Erie are also at home this week, but were also dealing with weather. The Whitecaps were rained out Tuesday and had their game Wednesday morning suspended by more rain. The SeaWolves got in their game, also Wednesday morning.

The one Tigers affiliate with decent weather was in Lakeland, where the Flying Tigers were playing Wednesday night against Fort Myers. So the Tigers made the call to fly all three players down there, transferred their rehab assignments and put them in the lineup.

“Not knowing what the weather forecast was going to be [in Toledo], we made a call and sent them all down to Lakeland and played them,” Hinch said.

Pérez, batting leadoff and starting in right field, went 0-for-2 with a sacrifice fly and a run scored in three plate appearances Wednesday. He then started Thursday at DH and slugged a two-run homer into the right-field bullpen at Joker Marchant Stadium. He also walked and stole second base. 

Meadows went 1-for-3 with a single and an RBI groundout. He hit a ground ball through the middle in his first at-bat, advancing Pérez to third base after he reached on an error. Meadows grounded out to second in the third inning, then grounded out to short in the fifth to drive in a run from third.

Meadows moved to center field on Thursday and made a nice putout on a sinking line drive. He also walked and scored a run.

Vierling played back-to-back games at third base, moving from third to right field late in Thursday's game. He had a busy Wednesday night at the hot corner, which is what the Tigers wanted to see. His seven assists included a slick double play in the sixth inning, teaming with Flying Tigers shortstop and Tigers No. 3 prospect Bryce Rainer. Vierling converted the last out of the Flying Tigers’ 5-3 win, then led the infielders in high fives for the outfielders on their way in.

All three are expected to head back north on Friday, but won’t play the same day that they fly. 

The Tigers are scheduled to face Guardians left-handed starter Logan Allen in Sunday’s series finale. Ideally, the Tigers will have Vierling available for that game. Pérez is further behind, but should be ready before Meadows, who will likely need a lengthy rehab assignment to replicate the build-up he would’ve gotten in Spring Training if healthy.

Triple-A Toledo: The Mud Hens are 25-23 thanks to a four-game winning streak. Jace Jung and Gage Workman hit solo home runs in Wednesday’s rain-shortened 3-0 win over Indianapolis, the Pirates’ top affiliate. Dylan Smith, just promoted from Double-A Erie, struck out all three batters he faced for Wednesday's save.

Double-A Erie: The SeaWolves hold the Eastern League’s best record at 28-14, and a five-game winning streak that includes three wins over the Rockies-affiliated Hartford Yard Goats. No. 21 prospect Max Anderson hit a three-run home run as part of a four-RBI performance Wednesday in an 18-3 win. Roberto Campos, Detroit's No. 20 prospect, fell a home run shy of a cycle in Thursday's 11-2 win. No. 10 prospect Troy Melton struck out five batters over three scoreless innings last Saturday in an 8-0 win at Giants-affiliated Richmond.

High-A West Michigan: The Whitecaps top the Midwest League’s East Division at 28-13, including a five-game winning streak. No. 4 prospect Josue Briceño returned from the injured list Wednesday with a solo homer, his seventh home run of the season. No. 2 prospect Kevin McGonigle also returned from an ankle injury.

Single-A Lakeland: The Flying Tigers top the Florida State League’s West Division at 24-17, including three straight wins over Twins-affiliated Fort Myers at Joker Marchant Stadium. No. 11 prospect Franyerber Montilla hit a two-run double in Tuesday’s 13-3 win.

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