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Austin Meadows Fully Recovered From Hamstring Injury, Learning Left Field

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INDIANAPOLIS — He showed no hesitation as he rounded second, thinking triple as he left the batter’s box.

Indianapolis outfielder Austin Meadows hit a line drive into the left-center field for a triple against Louisville on Aug. 16. The triple wasn’t really a special feat, because Meadows has 11 of them this season.

The look of the triple is what stood out. Meadows showed no hesitancy rounding second, in contrast to an extra-base hit he had about two weeks previously.

Meadows spent nearly all of July on the disabled list with a hamstring injury that had been lingering prior to his promotion from Altoona in mid-June.

In his first game back with Indianapolis on Aug. 6, Meadows went 2-for-4 and hit a double down the right field line into the corner. He may have thought about a triple on the play — a reasonable read — but took the safe route and walked into second for the easy double.

At the time, Indianapolis manager Dean Treanor liked the decision. The organization has been cautious with Meadows during this injury, not wanting any setbacks. That cautious approach includes not just the time on the disabled list rehabbing his injury, but how he played the game when he first returned. The double in his first game back is likely a triple any other day when healthy. And that’s where Meadows is at now.

“I think definitely I’m 100 percent and where I’m not thinking at all out there,” Meadows said. “I can go from second to third without thinking about it.”

Besides, Meadows has other things to think about, such as his introduction to playing left field. He’s made seven starts in left this season — five of them in Indianapolis since returning from the disabled list. He also made two starts in left while in Altoona.

“We’re keeping him in both (left and center),” Treanor said. “It’s an introduction to left field.”

All of the early work Meadows does before games is in left field. He played the position some in high school, so there is more of a comfort level for Meadows than some might think.

“I kind of have a good feel out there in left or center,” Meadows said. “I’m really comfortable with both positions.”

The biggest difference in playing the two positions is reading the ball flight from a different angle. The left-handed hitters will slice away from him, while right-handed hitters can hit balls with forward spin.

“The angles are different and the ball comes off the bat different,” Treanor said. “You have more room — not to make a mistake in center — but you do have more room. And he knows it.”

Meadows is hitting .261 in 13 games with Indianapolis since returning from the disabled list, but he has an OPS of .861. He has four doubles, a triple, and a home run in those games. But he also has 16 strikeouts.

But those strikeouts aren’t a glaring concern at this point. Meadows likely lost some timing and rhythm after not seeing live pitching for almost a month. But more importantly, he’s still a 21-year-old adjusting to playing at the Triple-A level, where pitchers have a more refined game.

Meadows played five games with Morgantown on a rehab assignment prior to rejoining Indianapolis. He only hit .200 there, but had a double in his last game.

“I felt like that helped my timing and I ended that on a good note down there,” Meadows said. “I feel like I’m seeing the ball well right now. It’s really just more the mental side. I feel that at the higher levels it’s more mental than physical, which is what got you here.”

Meadows hit .239 in 12 games with Indianapolis before being put on the disabled list, but that includes an 0-for-19 series at Gwinnett, which he played in front of about 75 to 100 family and friends each night. He is hitting .318 this season with Indianapolis if not for that rough series against Gwinnett.

“I think he looks better at the plate,” Treanor said. “There are some swings and misses in there. I think in time he will be fine.”

Meadows is playing more regularly now, another sign he’s fully healed. He started three consecutive games before getting a pinch-hit double on Monday in what was a day off. However, there is still some caution with Meadows as he likely will not play on Tuesday now to give him a full day of rest.

“I feel really loose,” Meadows said. “I really worked hard to stay loose. I might feel better than I did before.”

The hamstring injury was lingering prior to arriving in Indianapolis, Meadows previously said.

“It’s been up and down for sure,” Meadows said. “Getting hurt in Spring Training and getting hurt here. I’ve been through it before and know how to bounce back from it pretty well. It only makes you stronger — that’s how I look at it.”

The organization has been cautious with Meadows, and for good reason. There’s no reason to rush him back and Meadows has been solid for the most part in his time with Indianapolis. He struggled in front of his hometown crowd, but rebounded from that. There’s no reason to think his slight dip in offensive production will trend back upwards once he gets more time adjusting to a higher level of pitching.

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