BRADENTON, Fla. >> What has long seemed inevitable is now official.

The Tigers are going to start the season with two vital players on the injured list, utility man Matt Vierling and, as manager AJ Hinch announced before the game Friday, center fielder Parker Meadows.

“He’s doing everything but throwing right now and that’s a good sign,” said Hinch of Meadows. “The bad sign is, we’re closing in on opening day and we’re running out of time. He’s not going to make opening day given where we’re at on the calendar and what he’s actually doing.

“He continues to make progress, which is encouraging, but we’re at the point in camp where we have to prepare for opening day without him.”

Vierling, who strained his rotator cuff early in camp, was already ruled out. Meadows, who has a nerve issue in his upper arm, has been out since Feb. 22. As early as Wednesday, he was holding out hope that he could fight through the discomfort and play.

“He’s on a good trajectory, but how long the trajectory is, we don’t know,” Hinch said. “It’s a six-month season and the last thing we’re going to do is rush him through any part of this and all of a sudden he has a hamstring injury or a back issue. He’s been down 20-plus days. It doesn’t make sense now to try to do it all in 10.”

There is no timetable for the return of either Vierling or Meadows. They will be placed on the 10-day injured list on opening day. But the Tigers are proceeding as if neither will be out for any extended time once the season starts.

Thus, there has been no move, to this point, of going outside the organization for an outfielder.

“We’re very comfortable with the doctors and specialists he’s seen,” Hinch said. “We’re in a good place about this in every way except for their readiness for the season.”

Part of the reason the Tigers can stay pat is they expect Wenceel Perez to be ready for opening day. He’s been out since March 2 with lower back stiffness. He got a cortisone shot earlier this week, per the Tigers’ medical update, and has returned to full baseball activity.

“It’s all in conjuncture with trying to be very careful and making sure we get all the soreness out,” Hinch said. “He had a full camp workload today (in Lakeland), with a good BP, throwing and defense. We are hoping to get him in a game this week.

“It was the happiest I’ve seen Wenceel in a little bit.”

If the season started Monday, Perez would start in center with Riley Greene back in left. In the meantime, though, Hinch said he would continue to use Ryan Kreidler, Greene, Jahmai Jones and possibly Javier Baez getting reps in center.

“You will see more of the same,” Hinch said. “I am flirting with the idea of putting Javy out there, just in case something happens in the season where we end up with that need. You are going to see a lot of guys rotate through there and then as it gets closer to the season we will see how the playing time shifts.”

Hurter bullpen weapon

Hinch has informed lefty Brant Hurter that his best path to an opening day roster spot is in the bullpen.

“I don’t even want to call him a reliever,” Hinch said. “He’s a bullpen weapon if we end up taking him with us.”

Hurter came to camp in the competition for a rotation spot, but he struggled early to find his command. He found it Thursday, pitching two impressive innings, 22 pitches, 18 strikes.

“That was good to see,” Hinch said. “You want them to see success on the field with what they’re working on. He did a good job pounding the zone and making pitches at the right angle and velo. It was a really good outing for him. … That was his best day of camp.”

If Hurter wins a spot, he will reprise the same role he performed so successfully the final two months of last season — going through a lineup one or one and a half times, 30 to 45 pitches.

“His best chance to make it is in some kind of hybrid role,” Hinch said. “Which means, not batter by batter. We’re going to keep him lengthened out to multiple innings. We’re not turning our backs on him as a starter.”