With his No. 17 jersey hanging from his locker stall, Austin Meadows pulled on his batting gloves, grabbed his bat and went to follow Corey Dickerson out of the Pirates' clubhouse at PNC Park. The 23-year-old outfielder then had to backtrack to grab his phone and shoot off a text message.
The former top prospect spent the previous 15 minutes speaking to a crowd of reporters and had to head to the field for batting practice, where his fiancee, parents, younger brother and family members would be watching from behind home plate. It's the day Meadows has been waiting for since he was drafted sixth overall in 2013, and it came sooner than he expected.
However, Meadows, starting in center field and batting seventh against the Padres Friday night, never lost sight of his dream of playing in the major leagues, even after he encountered a number of injuries upon reaching Triple-A nearly two years ago.
"Obviously injuries aren’t going to help, but for me I’ve always had that confidence," Meadows said. "I’ve always known I’m destined to be here. That’s been my main goal. With the injuries I haven’t been on the fast track, but there’s always a reason for everything. I think it’s made me the stronger person I am today."
Meadows, ranked sixth in Baseball America's top 100 entering last season, was officially recalled by the Pirates earlier in the day, and Starling Marte was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right oblique. The left-handed hitter was batting .294/.336/.397 with 10 doubles, one home run and 15 RBIs in 32 games at Triple-A Indianapolis.
Clint Hurdle told reporters Friday afternoon Meadows was the ideal candidate since Marte's absence isn't expected to be long, and the move "strengthens our 25-man roster and puts men in a position to create more depth to help us moving forward." Meadows was surprised when Brian Esposito, Indianapolis' manager, told him Thursday afternoon he'd be joining the Pirates the next day.
After all, Meadows thought he'd have to prove he was finally healthy after hamstring and oblique injuries limited him to only 72 games at Triple-A last season, plus the Pirates have three veteran outfielders. In addition, Meadows struggled when he was on the field in Triple-A last season, batting .250/.311/.359 with only 23 extra-base hits. He also played in only 37 games at that level the previous season because of a right hamstring injury.
"It’s crazy how it happened," Meadows said. "That’s this game. You never know what can happen. It’s the last thing I expected, to be here this early. I think it's cool to be here, help the team, help the team win. I’m excited to be a part of this great atmosphere they have going."
Meadows also conditioned himself to stop thinking about the next step in his career. Such a strategy can be difficult for a young player, especially one with the hype that's followed Meadows since he played at Grayson High School near Atlanta, Ga. He now admits that he struggled to fend off external pressures in the past, including last season.
Former Indianapolis manager Andy Barkett told DKPittsburghSports.com the 80-game suspension of Starling Marte was a potential distraction for Meadows. When Meadows arrived at PNC Park Friday, his manager emphasized the importance of ignoring any external expectations.
"I share those conversations when guys come in all the time," Clint Hurdle said. "They don’t need to get caught up. More often than not, the same group that builds him up will be the first to take shots when he doesn’t play well. That’s just the truth. That’s just the way it works. ... So just let him play and I told him that’s the biggest thing here. Just go out and take care of today. Look to do something today. Get a little better today. Don’t get caught up in anything other than being the best player you can be today. Whether it’s stealing a base, running a ball down, throwing a guy out, hitting the ball in the gap and driving in a couple. Whatever that it is, focus on that.”
Meadows, though, made it clear the call wouldn't have come if he hadn't changed how he prepared his body for a full baseball season. He switched trainers in the offseason and turned his focus to full-body workouts, rather than splitting time between strengthening his upper- and lower-body.
Meadows looked rejuvenated when he arrived at Pirate City for spring training in February, and it translated to production on the field when the Pirates began playing games at LECOM Park. He slashed .368/.429/.737 with eight RBIs in Grapefruit League play, and he regained the speed that he had lost when dealing with the hamstring injuries.
Neal Huntington called Meadows' progress one of the more encouraging developments throughout spring training; however, Meadows was among the first round of cuts because Marte, Gregory Polanco and Corey Dickerson needed additional at-bats to prepare for the season.
Meadows responded with a strong start to the season and, although he encountered a slump earlier this month, his three hits at Norfolk on Thursday stretched his hitting streak to seven games. He went 13 for 33 with four doubles and seven RBI during that span and has stolen eight bases this season, splitting time between left and center field.
"Just go out there and take care of my business in Triple-A," Meadows said of his focus. "For me, it was just going out there each and every day working on things I can. Not letting the pressure get to me and not worrying about where I need to be. … Be where my feet are. When I start worrying about things outside of my comfort zone and putting pressure on myself, that’s when things can go downhill quick."
Meadows' injury-shortened 2017 season caused him to drop 38 spots in Baseball America's top 100 and he's now ranked second in the organization behind Mitch Keller; however, he was regarded as one of the top prospects in the sport after batting .311 with a .976 OPS in 45 games at Double-A Altoona in 2016. Those who played with him in the minor leagues can speak to the impact he can make when healthy.
Elias Diaz, starting at catcher and batting in front of Meadows in the order Friday, played with Meadows in Triple-A last season and when the two were in minor-league camp over the past few years. Diaz, whose debut was also delayed because of injuries, was thrilled to see Meadows' health, and performance, return.
"I saw him grow up since he was picked in the draft," Diaz said. "He’s a really good guy. Excellent player. I’m so happy for him because he made his dream a reality to get to the show. ... He’s got talent. He just needs to be healthy to play and show what he can do. He’s got the tools. He can run. He can swing the bat. He can do everything."
Meadows called family and friends after Esposito told him the news Thursday, but it didn't feel like reality until his mother, Staci, showed him a photo of a banner outside PNC Park Friday morning. There, hanging on the facade of the ballpark on General Robinson Street next to Josh Harrison's banner, is a photo of Meadows.
Meadows took batting practice Friday afternoon with a group that included Josh Bell before saying goodbye to his family and heading into the clubhouse to prepare for first pitch. He's joined a first-place team that lost its Gold Glove center fielder and is starting in the position manned for nine years by the former face of the franchise.
Meadows, though, insists he isn't feeling any pressure. Instead, he wants to embrace every minute of his first big-league game.
"Being in here now is hard to take in, but it’s an amazing moment."
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Austin Meadows during batting practice, PNC Park, May 18, 2018. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS