Rays reinstate OF Austin Meadows, option RHP Trevor Richards

With their return to Tropicana Field, the Tampa Bay Rays will welcome back All-Star outfielder and 2019 lead-off hitter Austin Meadows to their active roster.

Meadows has been outstanding since joining the Rays along with Tyler Glasnow and top prospect Shane Baz at the 2018 trade deadline. During the 2019 regular season, Meadows would hit .291/.364/.558 with 32 homeruns and accrued 4.0 fWAR over 138 games played.

Meadows seemed prime to soar even higher for the Rays in 2020, but his second full season would be delayed by the global pandemic, with the player testing positive for the coronavirus just at the onset of ‘Summer Camp.’

With ten games in the bank and after a return to baseball activities in Port Charlotte, Meadows has been reinstated to the Rays active roster.

In the corresponding roster move, the Rays optioned Trevor Richards to minor league camp. Richards has made two appearances for the Rays this season and has allowed six runs over 5 ¹⁄₃ innings pitched, walking one and striking out four.

This is yet another exciting debut for Meadows who, after decimating the International League during his brief stint in Triple-A in 2018, joined the Rays in full-time role in 2019 and made his presence known immediately as he led off on Opening Day with a homerun off of Justin Verlander.

Let’s hope for the same re-introduction against old friend Nathan Eovaldi tonight.