Detroit Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows was transported to a Minneapolis hospital for overnight observation after a frightening head-to-head collision with teammate Riley Greene during Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
The incident unfolded in the eighth inning of the Tigers’ 3-1 loss, as both outfielders converged on a shallow fly ball hit by Josh Bell into the left-center gap.
Greene, the left fielder, made the catch, but Meadows appeared to slow down at the last moment, resulting in their heads colliding at full speed. Meadows fell to the ground, landing on his back in a daze with blood visible on his face after biting the inside of his mouth. He remained down for several minutes before being assisted to a cart and removed from the field.
Manager A.J. Hinch expressed concern, noting that Meadows was “pretty out of it” and that the team would evaluate him thoroughly.
Postgame updates confirmed Meadows was diagnosed with a concussion. He left the stadium on a stretcher, fully conscious, with his left arm in a sling.
Greene, who stayed in the game, later described feeling terrible about the play and hoped his friend and teammate would recover.
“It’s a terrible feeling. I still feel terrible,” Greene said after the game, via ESPN. “He hit my head. I don’t know where I hit him, to be honest, but I just really hope he’s OK.”
Meadows, a 26-year-old who had started most games in center field this season, is expected to be monitored closely in the coming days.
