Tampa Bay Rays reinstate star OF Austin Meadows from COVID-19 injured list

Losers of five consecutive games after a hot start to the season, the Tampa Bay Rays are about to get a reinforcement back into the mix.

All-Star outfielder Austin Meadows contracted COVID-19 prior to Opening Day and has missed the first 10 games of the season. He’s now set to return to the Rays.

Tampa Bay Rays activate Austin Meadows after bout with COVID-19

Rays have reinstated outfielder Austin Meadows from the injured list, so he could make his season debut tonight as Tampa Ray returns home to face the Red Sox. They've dropped five in a row since opening the year 4-1 at home.

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) August 4, 2020

This is no small thing in that Tampa is already one-sixth of the way through its schedule and finds itself 4.5 games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East.

Austin Meadows coming off tremendous 2019 season

Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the blockbuster Chris Archer trade back on July 31, 2018, Meadows has been a godsend for the Rays.

The former top prospect hit .291 with 33 homers, 89 RBI and a .922 OPS in his first full season with Tampa Bay back in 2019. He’s seen as one of the better young players in the game.

Though, the Rays have a lot of ground to make up in the AL East with just 50 regular-season games remaining. They’ll need Meadows to come out of the gate hot, something that we have not seen from other players who have recovered from the virus.