Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neill has been sent back to Boston to undergo imaging on his right knee, manager Alex Cora told reporters Tuesday afternoon.
O'Neill was already out of the lineup against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. He hasn't played since the Red Sox faced the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, leaving that game in the eighth inning.
While the injury has already cost O'Neill three games, Cora said the decision to send him home for further evaluation is more about "reassurance" than it is about the team fearing any significant structural damage.
O'Neill already spent a week on the injured list back in April after he suffered a concussion.
In 41 games this season, O'Neill has 11 home runs, 17 RBI and a 0.7 WAR. He is batting .236 with an .843 OPS.
O'Neill started off the season red-hot, hitting a leadoff home run on Opening Day and posting a 1.209 OPS through April 15. Since returning from his concussion, however, the 28-year-old is batting just .200 with a .659 OPS.
Pre-concussion, O'Neill was hitting a home run once every nine plate appearances. Post-concussion, he is averaging 28 plate appearances between home runs.
The Red Sox acquired O'Neill in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals back in December, right after they dealt Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees.
O'Neill, who won Gold Glove Awards in 2020 and 2021, emerged as a true threat at the plate in 2021. He hit .286 with 34 home runs, 80 RBI, 15 stolen bases, a .912 OPS and a 6.1 WAR, finishing eighth in NL MVP voting that season.
Over the next two seasons, however, O'Neill was a .229 hitter with a .707 OPS. He managed to put up 23 home runs, 79 RBI, 19 stolen bases and a 1.5 WAR in 168 games between 2022 and 2023, missing almost half of each year due to injury.
Now, O'Neill is banged up again, and it remains to be seen just how long this latest ailment will keep him sidelined. When he does return, whenever that may be, he will have the added pressure of breaking out of a month-long slump.
