Tyler O'Neill is set to miss a third straight game on Wednesday after undergoing an MRI on Tuesday.
In Tuesday night’s blowout win over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Baltimore Orioles put up thirteen runs in an offensive barrage with a lineup that faced a left-handed starter, Matthew Liberatore. They did all of the scoring without one of their best bats against southpaws.
One bat missing in the Orioles’ order on Tuesday was outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who is typically slotted in the lineup against left-handers. However, an injury held him back from playing against his former team in the series opener.
O’Neill is dealing with soreness on his right shoulder, and was slated to get an MRI on Tuesday evening, according to Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun. He injured his shoulder when he made a diving catch on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays. As a precaution, Luis Vázquez joined the taxi squad in case he is needed on the roster.
The play that O’Neill injured his shoulder on was a spectacular catch in the ninth, where he had laid out and likely saved a run that would end up helping the Orioles win the game. But it may have come at an unfortunate cost.
Over the past couple of months, O’Neill has silently been one of the league’s best bats against left-handed pitching, a strength of his game that the Orioles value. Though the Orioles stood tall in a big 13-1 win on Tuesday, O’Neill’s consistent presence against southpaws will be very crucial for the team down the stretch.
Since the start of July, O’Neill’s ranks against lefties have been nothing short of elite. Among players with a minimum of 50 plate appearances against left-handers since July 1, O’Neill’s eight home runs ranked first in the league since then. His 239 wRC+ and 1.263 OPS against southpaws rank second in that span, and he has recorded a .333 batting average.
Ahead of Wednesday’s game, the Orioles did not slot O’Neill in the lineup against Cardinals’ right-hander Michael McGreevy. It has yet to be made clear how his MRI went on Tuesday, but it is likely that O’Neill’s injury is being treated as day-to-day.
O’Neill’s absence on Tuesday marked the first time he has sat against a left-hander since July 7. Dylan Beavers earned a start against a lefty in his place in left field.
This season, O'Neill is batting .212 and has hit 10 homers and knocked in 23 RBI in 85 games. Tuesday marked the second straight game he missed, and he is now set to likely miss a third straight on Wednesday.
