Parker Meadows finally returned to the Detroit Tigers lineup after missing some time with a right quad injury. He turned heads in his first at-bat on Friday by going yard on the first pitch.

In the bottom of the third, down two runs, Meadows approached the plate with a man on first. Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Shane Smith threw a pitch down and in, and the 25-year-old outfielder got a hold of it. Parker Meadows hit the game-tying home run into right field and didn't give the opposing outfielder a chance to make a play on it.

The home run comes after the Tigers' social media page on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared a monster grand slam Meadows recorded on September 5, 2024. So, on the one-year anniversary of leading Detroit to a 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres, Parker Meadows hits another home run on the same date a year later.

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Injuries have been the story of Parker Meadows' tenure this season, as he first the initial 60 games of the 2025 campaign due to a musculocutaneous nerve injury in his arm. Shortly after returning to action from that incident, the Tigers' outfielder suffered a right quad strain that landed him on the 10-day IL. But after hitting a home run on his first pitch back in action, it appears Meadows is healthy and in great shape.

The Tigers are firmly in the mix for the No. 1 seed in the AL, as the club entered Friday's game with 81 wins. The only other team in the AL with 81+ wins right now are the Toronto Blue Jays. So, the top seed appears to be a race between these two organizations.

Detroit aims to make its second consecutive playoff appearance after being elimated last postseason by the Cleveland Guardians. Considering the Tigers have been one of the most competitive teams in the league this year, the club likely has World Series aspirations once the playoffs begin in October.