The Boston Red Sox are in the thick of the American League Wild Card race. The team’s postseason hopes took a hit when the Red Sox's Gold Glove outfielder Tyler O’Neill was lost to the injured list earlier this month. But Boston can breathe a sigh of relief as O’Neill was activated in time for Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne on X.
O’Neill has been on the shelf since August 2. The Red Sox placed him on the 10-day IL on August 7 but the move was retroactive to the fourth. While Boston initially anticipated having O’Neill back in the lineup when he was first eligible, it’s taken the seven-year veteran a bit longer to overcome multiple ailments that required hospitalization.
O’Neill was forced to miss time initially with a stomach virus. However, he was also dealing with an infection in his left leg. Ultimately, the 29-year-old slugger spent four days in the hospital where he received treatment for the infection.
Red Sox welcome Tyler O’Neill back from a difficult IL stint
After he was discharged, O’Neill began baseball activity. Although he was first eligible to come off the injured list last Wednesday, he needed a few more days before taking the field. It appears O’Neill is now ready to suit up for the Red Sox.
Boston needs all the offense it can muster. The team went 6-7 with O’Neill out of action and just 11-15 since returning from the All-Star break, entering play on Saturday.
The Red Sox are 7.5 games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East. However, they’re just 2.5 games behind the Kansas City Royals for the final Wild Card berth.
O’Neill landed with the Red Sox in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals prior to the 2024 season. He has 22 home runs, 45 RBI and 59 runs scored with a .900 OPS, an OPS+ of 144 and 2.3 WAR in 80 games for Boston.
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