Tigers OF Austin Meadows says he will miss rest of season due to mental health issues

It has been a difficult year for Austin Meadows in his first season with the Detroit Tigers. And now it’s over.

The former All-Star outfielder announced Friday that he will not return to the field this season due to mental health issues. He said he still plans to remain with the team, he just won’t play.

Meadows’ full statement:

This season has been an unfortunate struggle with a series of injuries and illness, from dealing with vertigo early on, then COVID, to bilateral tendinitis in my Achilles, and then having to go through the rehab process each time.

What I have told very few people is that I also have been struggling with my mental health in a way that has extended my time away from the game that I love so much. I’ve been dealing with this privately with a great team of professionals, but I need to continue to put in the hard work off the field towards feeling mentally healthy.

While I’ve been back in the clubhouse the past few weeks, and plan to remain with the club through the end of season, I am still not ready to return to the field. I am so grateful for my family, my teammates, and the Tigers organization for supporting me through this. I can’t do this alone, and I hope in sharing my experience I can touch at least one person who might be going through their own struggles and encourage them to reach out to someone for help.