The Red Sox informed reporters that outfielder Tyler O’Neill had soreness in his right knee and was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 26. A comparable move involved the recall of infielder Enmanuel Valdéz. Among those who shared the information was Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams.
O’Neill, who turns 29 next month, had a fiery beginning with the Red Sox but has since greatly cooled off. Prior to the end of April, he was hitting.320/.433/.693, but after the calendar turned to May, he has only hit.151/.244/.301. According to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic on X, he recently informed reporters that his knee has been troubling him for a while and is likely effecting his swing.
The outfielder’s career has been significantly impacted by his health, or lack thereof. O’Neill demonstrated in 2021 that he is capable of being an excellent player when fit. That season, he appeared in 138 games for the Cardinals and hit 34 home runs. His hitting line of.286/.352/.560 produced a 143 wRC+, which is 43% higher than the league average. In addition, he received high marks for his outfield defense and stole 15 bases. Ranked ninth in the National League Most Valuable Player voting, FanGraphs valued his contribution at 5.3 wins over replacement.
However, he suffered ailments in the next two seasons that felt like snakebite. In just 168 games played in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he hit.229/.310/.397 with a 98 wRC+. He visited the IL several times for a lower back strain, a right foot sprain, a left hamstring strain, and a right shoulder impingement.
St. Louis sent him to Boston for a handful of pitchers since they had one year left before he became a free agent and they were once again stuck with an overcrowded outfield. The Red Sox undoubtedly hoped to acquire a healthy O’Neill so they could either use him to their advantage or trade him for a better deal than they were willing to give up. They have since witnessed the O’Neill experience at both extremes.
Obviously, how the Sox perform between now and then will dictate how they choose to approach the deadline. They are only 2.5 games from of a postseason berth at 28-27. They might keep O’Neill around as part of a postseason push if they can stay there over the upcoming several months. Depending on his effectiveness and health in the second half, he might be considered for a qualifying offer at the end of the season. However, he would probably be available on the trade market this summer if he stays fit and the team drops in the standings.
It’s possible that he won’t be on the IL for very long because his ailment is only being classified as inflammation rather than a strain or rupture. As Ian Browne of MLB.com reported earlier on Wednesday, manager Álex Cora made that suggestion. O’Neill has joined Masataka Yoshida on the disabled list, therefore for the foreseeable future, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Rob Refsnyder will make up the outfield combination.
