Many things come to mind for Red Sox outfielder Tyler O’Neill when he reflects on six seasons spent with the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals.
There are the off-field moments.
“A lot of life happened for me. I got married during this phase and had a baby girl,†O’Neill said from the visitor’s clubhouse ahead of Friday’s series opener between the Cardinals and Red Sox. “Just came in as a young kid and left as a husband, father, (and) just more of a human.â€
There are the on-field moments like in 2021 when the Cardinals won a franchise-record 17 consecutive games that clinched a National League Wild Card spot.
“I’ll never forget that run that we went on (in 2021). ... That was super special,†O’Neill said.
And the experiences like an arbitration case he lost in 2022 and a pair of injury-limited campaigns in his final two years as a Cardinal.
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“A crazy couple of years over here it just kind of started off like. Just kind of up and down. And then some injuries happen. Just never got going from there,†he said.
In a new uniform and with a different franchise after a December trade to the Boston Red Sox, the 28-year-old feels he has a “fresh start.â€
“I think it was obviously coming to everyone,†O’Neill said of the trade. “It was just a matter of where I was going to go. It was just a waiting game for a little bit, man. It was a tough time with uncertainty in not knowing what was going on. But it all ended up for the best and I’m really thankful for where landed. I landed in Boston and on my feet.â€
Acquired in a July 2017 trade with the Seattle Mariners, O’Neill reached the majors in 2018 with the Cardinals and played in 477 games for ºüÀêÊÓƵ. The Canadian-born outfielder batted .249 with 78 homers, 40 stolen bases, and posted a .788 OPS in six seasons. He won two Gold Glove awards (2020 and 2021) in left field and finished eighth in National League MVP voting in 2021 — a season during which he batted .286 with a .912 OPS and an OPS+ of 148 in a career-high 138 games.
During his final two seasons before being dealt to Boston this past winter for righty reliever Nick Robertson and right-handed prospect Victor Santos, O’Neill combined to play in 168 games as he dealt with multiple injuries including back, shoulder, and hamstring injuries. He produced a .229 average and .707 OPS in the injury-limited campaigns.
He described his offseason prep as one during which he’s adjusted his training program to “a more complete structure†in order to avoid the setbacks he faced the past two years.
To begin his career as a member of the Red Sox, O’Neill owns a .256 average and a .925 OPS with 10 home runs and 16 RBIs in his first 34 games for Boston. Seven of his first 10 home runs came in his first 15 games before he spent just over a week on the injured list with a concussion. He comes into his first series as a visitor to Busch Stadium having gone 16-for-73 (.219) at the plate and produced a .730 OPS in 19 following his IL activation.
“I got off to a hot start, which was nice,†O’Neill said. “Being able to backspin the ball to all fields is when I know I’m going right. I went through a bit of a stretch just pulling off balls, pulling the ball foul, (and) still barreling the baseball (and) pulling it foul.â€
In his first at-bat on Friday, O’Neill received a ovation from the Busch Stadium crowd and stepped aside to tip his helmet to fans and his former teammates and coaches before lacing a single to left-center field.
He said prior to the series-opener that he hoped to receive some sort of positive reception before proceeding with the series like any other.
“Wearing that home uni for a lot of time over in that first base dugout it was super special,†O’Neill said. “A special experience for me and to just see how this fan base and this heritage treats their former players s really special. Hopefully if I get something similar tonight and we can put that to rest after that.â€
Extra Bases
- Matthew Liberatore will start on Sunday against the Red Sox. The lefty has filled the spot in the Cardinals’ rotation left open after Steven Matz (lower back) went on the injured list on May 3. Marmol said Liberatore, who began the year in a bullpen role and had a 3.78 ERA in 16 2/3 innings, is expected to remain in Matz’s rotation spot until the Cardinals feel they have a “better option†while Matz recovers from injury.
- Right-hander Giovanny Gallegos threw a bullpen on Friday, Marmol said. Gallegos (right shoulder impingement) has been on the injured list since May 6.
- Right-hander Keynan Middleton completed a scoreless inning of relief on Thursday with Double-A Springfield as he continues to rehab from a right forearm injury. Middleton’s next rehab outing and where it takes place has not been determined, Marmol said. After two rest days, the Cardinals hope to have Middleton make back-to-back rehab appearances. Following that, the Cardinals b will likely decide if the righty will need to continue his rehab with appearances of more than one inning or if he will be activated. Middleton has not pitched in a game since March 7.
- Circular No. 24 patches to honor the late Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog were added to the arm sleeves of the Cardinals home white uniforms ahead of Friday’s series opener. The Cardinals are set to have No. 24 patches honoring Herzog on their home whites, road grays, cream-colored Saturday home jerseys, and the victory blue Saturday road jerseys for the rest of the 2024 season. The patches appear on the sleeve opposite the advertisement patch on ºüÀêÊÓƵ’s jerseys.