The Boston Red Sox are gearing up for a pivotal matchup against the Baltimore Orioles. Boston has been tending to left fielder Tyler O'Neill as he battles a knee ailment, and the team provided an update on his status before Wednesday evening's game.
The Red Sox moved O'Neill to the 10-day injured list with right knee inflammation, per Ian Browne. O'Neill has been dealing with soreness in the knee, and Boston seeks to address the issue by giving him more time for treatment. Hopefully, he and the medical staff can get things under control.
Tyler O'Neill's knee issues worsened during the Red Sox's May 25th matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers. Boston suffered a 6-3 defeat, but not before removing O'Neil from the lineup earlier in the game. The left fielder explained that his knee had been an ongoing problem he was trying to play through.
“I’ve been grinding through it for a little bit. Felt it more so on that last swing that I took kind of coming out of the box. Feel like my cleat got caught or something in the batter’s box there. So it didn’t feel too good,” O'Neill said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.
O'Neill has not played since the matchup, but with the right treatment and recovery plan, he might able to return to aid Boston's offense. The 28-year-old has batted a .236 average, hit 11 home runs, and been responsible for 17 RBI with a .843 OPS (ranked 24th in the league).
The Red Sox will miss Tyler O'Neill's presence in their final series matchup against the Orioles. Nevertheless, Boston has what it takes to overcome their woes.
Red Sox look to stay above .500 in final Orioles series matchup of late May
Boston entered Wednesday night's matchup at 28-27, just one game above the .500 mark. After dropping their first game against Baltimore 11-3 on Monday, they responded with an 8-3 win on Tuesday. The Sox want to maintain momentum and get another victory over their AL East foes.
Baltimore will not make things easy. At 34-19, the Orioles have the second-best record in the division behind the New York Yankees. Offensively, Baltimore is led by Adley Rutschman, who has top-20 rankings in batting average, home runs, and RBI. However, Boston looks to have an answer for him and the rest of the Orioles' offensive contributors.
Right-hander Tanner Houck looks to continue to lead a stout pitching effort to resist the Orioles' attack. The 27-year-old holds an ERA of 1.90, which ranks third in the league. Of course, it will take a standout effort from everyone on the field to slow Baltimore down, but they have what it takes to do so.
It will be interesting to see how this pivotal matchup ends up amid Tyler O'Neill's injury update. If the Red Sox can ban together and execute, they can cap off the series with a win. Boston will prepare to take on a four-game Detroit Tigers series shortly after their Orioles matchup. Hopefully, the Red Sox can resist fatigue and continue to climb the NL East standings.
