Outfielder Tyler O’Neill was returned from his minor league rehab assignment by the Orioles today, per a club announcement. O’Neill was placed on the shelf due to a shoulder impingement nearly a month ago, but began his rehab assignment last week and seemed to be nearing a return to action prior to today’s news. He had sat out recent games due to renewed soreness in his shoulder, however, and now has been pulled off his rehab assignment entirely. MASN’s Roch Kubatko relays that O’Neill will be shut down from all baseball activity for one week and has already received an injection in his AC joint.
The news is a clear sign that the Orioles should not expect O’Neill’s return anytime soon. While an estimated timetable for his return to the field won’t be known until after this shutdown period ends, it should be expected he’ll need to resume building up with lighter baseball activities before he’s in position for the Orioles to consider a new rehab assignment. Position players can be on a rehab assignment for a maximum of 20 days before they have to be pulled back or activated from the IL, so once he begins playing in rehab games again the countdown to his return can resume in earnest.
Until then, Baltimore’s outfield will be without its top right-handed option. The team signed O’Neill to a three-year, $49.5MM deal in free agency over the offseason as a way to help make up for the loss of Anthony Santander from their lineup and complement a heavily left-handed outfield mix that features Cedric Mullins, Colton Cowser, and Heston Kjerstad on a regular basis. O’Neill made plenty of sense as a complement to that trio given his excellent numbers against left-handed pitching, but things haven’t worked out so well in year one of his contract with the Orioles. The outfielder has been limited to just 24 games by injuries this year, and even when he’s been healthy enough to take the field he’s hit a paltry .188/.280/.325 (70 wRC+) with just two home runs in 93 plate appearances.
It’s a far cry from the production he offered the Red Sox last year, when he slugged 31 homers in 113 games and posted a 131 wRC+ overall. While that sort of performance can obviously be transformational for a lineup, the Orioles would likely benefit from even a more modestly productive version of O’Neill as long as he can get healthy enough to return to the outfield. The Orioles have been the least productive offense against left-handed pitching in the American League this year, and their 62 wRC+ is ahead of only the lowly Rockies in the majors as a whole. O’Neill is a career .261/.366/.524 hitter against southpaws, so even a diminished version of him could be a huge boost to the lineup.
Until he returns, however, the Orioles appear likely to continue relying on Ramon Laureano to fill O’Neill’s role as a lefty-mashing outfielder. Laureano has excelled in Baltimore this year with a 139 wRC+ in 133 plate appearances, though the longtime lefty masher has actually gotten most of his production against right-handed pitching this year with below-average numbers against opposite-handed pitching. That makes him an imperfect complement to the Orioles’ otherwise all-lefty outfield, but until O’Neill returns the club doesn’t have many clearly better options.
Boy, did the Sox get the best out of him last year like in 22 with Renfroe. I’m still thinking too much weightlifting for an MLB player has cost him the ability to be consistently on the field. Same as Stanton. Being in shape is one thing but being Mr. Universe’s son while trying to play ball is another.
That’s the trend these days. All or nothing at all. Everyone is focused on homers.
Homers win games.
It’s just another case of a team smartly acquiring a player before his walk year. Then he goes all out and stays on the field and produces, gets paid, and is back to the same-old same-old the next year.
There will be 3 yrs of this GM has got to go
I don’t think anyone was surprised that he would take a trip to the IL at some point. I wasn’t a fan of the signing originally anyways but I also wasn’t a fan of our off season in its entirety.
Too much bodybuilding for the son of Mr. Canada
Thanks for correcting me. That it was Mr. Universe.
Dewey – Very glad we see this the same way!
BTW – It’s worth noting his Dad did NOT compete for Mr. Natural Canada.
Fever, actual titles mean nothing. One look at him and you know he’s over developed for the grind of baseball. Funny how most of the time we look the other way at the athlete who is not in shape for the lengthy season.
They already had enough position players blocking their prospects. Then they went and signed him after his magical walk year, instead of spending the money on the pitching help they needed.
Theres so many good things that can be done with $50mil. Instead its being completely wasted on garbage like oneill
I wonder if the White Sox would trade for Tyler O’Neill for Anthony Benetendi straight up as a salary dump for both sides
Why would CWS find that appealing in any way? At east Benentendi has been available and healthy most of his career.
He couldn’t shoulder the load of the Orioles underachieving.
Is “returned from rehab” a common phrase for this type of occurrence? It wasn’t obvious to me what this meant in the headline.
“Is “returned from rehab” a common phrase for this type of occurrence? It wasn’t obvious to me what this meant in the headline.”
Agreed! Why not just say the rehab has been stopped or discontinued or something to that effect? “Returned from rehab” sounds like he’s recovered and has rejoined the team ready to play.
Though I can see how it can be confusing, it is the correct terminology because a player is sent on a rehab assignment, from the IL, to an affiliated minor league team. So when a player is going to return healthy, they are recalled from that minor league affiliate, to the active MLB roster. When the player gets re-injured while on the rehab assignment, they are returned from the minor league affiliate, back to the IL — rather than recalled to the active MLB roster.
I hope this helps explain why that terminology is used, even if it doesn’t make it any less confusing in the moment someone is reading that headline.
Thanks BleedingBlue. In all the years of following transactions, I don’t recall ever hearing the formal term used.
I imagine it’s an official transaction that stops the rehab clock? I still thinks it’s confusing language if he’s returned to the IL because players are still considered on the IL while rehabbing.
Regardless of it being a correct phrase, the are other more understandable ways of saying it. It was not the best choice. Saying he was experiencing continued soreness would have been clearer.
I’m reminded of O’Neills tenure with my Cardinals. Except for one good year, this is synonymous to the rest of his Cardinal years.
Too bad. I wanted him to be a middle-of-the-order banger.
Needs to give up the weight lifting!
You may have a point on the weightlifting!!
Muscle bound with no flexibility…
A little too late…
He may not, as he has no access to the data to support it.
Unfortunately Tyler O’Neal is just not very tough. Mentally or physically.
He was a 2-time gold glove outfielder — with power — with the Cardinals in his first 2 seasons when he had Bader playing centerfield beside of him.
It may have been a coincidence, but Following Bader’s departure, O’Neal was never been the same offensive or defensive player he was his first 2 seasons and hasn’t been healthy or played a full season since that time…….
O”Neill’s 2 best seasons defensively were his 3rd and 4th seasons. 2024 was arguably better than 2020 offensively.
I do buy into his defense being bolstered with Bader next to him. I dont see Bader having any impact offensively. Nor do I see Bader having an impact on the biggest factor staying healthy, which as of now has been the main story of his career.
He really wants to outdo Chris Davis as worst Orioles contract
Not possible.
@ grape
ridiculous take. hyperbole gone awry.
You missed by … ooooh…
About $100 million.
Davis gave some production. O’Neil has given opening day and nothing else so far
Stats would show Ramon Laureano is the Os best option in regards to a right handed hitting outfielder
But not the best option against lefty pitchers.
Less weight room and more calisthenics. He doesn’t have to be as big as his dad was to be a good power hitter. At this point, there is no way he opts out so in order to maximize his contribution for next season, the Orioles need to start pushing conditioning work and calisthenics and much less weight room time. His career will likely prove to be better – the best ability is availability.
Poor performance to date just as much mental as physical? He’s by far top earner of position players. There’s added pressure to perform when in that position. Is Tyler cut out for it?
I am sure there is a mental component but it is likely more to do with pressing because of the early season struggles and injuries to the entire team – that has to weigh on certain players, especially guys new to the team and wanting to get off to a good start. I don’t think it’s the money side of it though because he would have more incentive to perform well in order to have the justification to opt out after season one for a better deal – that is likely the pressure from that aspect and not so much being a highest paid player on the roster. Obviously just my opinion and it could be a number of different things but at this point it’s a safe bet to believe he will be in the roster next year. He just won’t have enough time left to justify an opt out for a higher salary.
It would be interesting to know just how many games Tyler has missed in his career due to being on the Injured List. I don’t look for him to stay healthy during much of his contract. He would be a force in that Oriole lineup if he could remain on it.
He can’t…in his whole career, he’s played over 100 games twice.
A little overdose of the supplements.
You can just hear Mike Elias screaming, “Why didn’t anyone tell me this guy has an injury history!”