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The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the most underwhelming teams in baseball this season. On paper, they are one of the scariest teams out there, but they have a -39 run differential, and they're 16 games under .500. The Cardinals' offense has been good, but maybe the return of one of their big sluggers will help the team gain some momentum and climb in the standings.
The Cardinals still need to include the big bat, veteran outfielder Tyler O'Neill. The home run hitter has been out since May, and his bat will be welcome once he returns.
How much longer will Tyler O'Neill be on the IL? Will he return soon? Let's take a look at the latest reports and find an answer.
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Tyler O'Neill Injury Update
O'Neill has been on the 10-day injured list since the beginning of May with a lower back and was transferred to the 60-day IL, which pushed his earliest return date to July 4. Back injuries are difficult to deal with because they tend to linger, but the good news is O'Neill has been ramping up his baseball activities over the past week. The outfielder was seen taking batting practice at the end of June before starting his rehab assignment.
O'Neill began his rehab assignment on Tuesday, July 4. The slugger went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in his first game with the Memphis Redbirds. In his second game, he hit a double and struck out once. Being on the injured list for over two months will likely require an extended build-up, but it's nice to see O'Neill get an extra-base hit in his second game.
Tyler O'Neill Fantasy Baseball Outlook
O'Neill has been with the St Louis Cardinals since 2018, but he truly broke out in his All-Star season in 2021. The outfielder hit 34 home runs and stole 15 bases while slashing .286/.352/.560. The batting average is likely an outlier since O'Neill's profile does not correlate with a strong contact hitter. The 28-year-old is a big power threat with a lot of swing-and-miss in his game. Even during his great 2021 season, O'Neill struck out over 31% of the time.
The team context is a plus for O'Neill, as the Cardinals have one of the best lineups in baseball. Batting around hitters like Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Nolan Gorman, and Jordan Walker will likely lead to many RBI and run-scoring opportunities for O'Neill. The main issue with the Cardinals this season is their pitching, so the offense must score as much as possible to win games.
O'Neill has been out since May 5 but has been ramping up his activity and is now on his rehab assignment. The veteran outfielder will likely need a least a week's worth of rehab games to work on his timing and fielding, so a return shortly after the All-Star break could be in the cards. Fantasy managers seeking home runs should stash O'Neill as he is only 43% rostered in Yahoo leagues and 17% rostered in ESPN leagues.
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