The Boston Red Sox need a win on Wednesday afternoon, and there's a future Hall of Famer standing in their way.
Facing the Houston Astros' Justin Verlander in his return from the injured list, the Red Sox will need to swing the bats to secure a crucial series win. With slumping starter Cooper Criswell taking the ball for Boston, manager Alex Cora knows his lineup may need to score in bunches to keep up with Houston.
And Cora's lineup card contained a notable omission ahead of Wednesday's first pitch.
Power-hitting corner outfielder Tyler O'Neill, who has been one of the Red Sox's most consistent offensive performers this season, was left out of the lineup for the first time since Saturday, when he returned from an infection in his left leg.
O'Neill, 28, has been the Red Sox's second-best power bat for most of the season. His 22 home runs and .875 OPS both trail only Rafael Devers among Red Sox hitters with 300 or more at-bats. But he hasn't been himself since returning to the lineup.
In four games since his return, O'Neill has gone 2-for-15 without an extra-base hit. Alarmingly, he has struck out eight times in that time frame, for a strikeout rate of over 47%.
In the spot O'Neill likely would have occupied, veteran Rob Refsnyder is playing left field and batting fifth. Refsnyder is slashing .299/.380/.476 in 77 games this season.
O'Neill is likely in play to come off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the crucial series finale, especially if the Astros call upon a left-handed relief pitcher. O'Neill has a 1.051 OPS against lefties this season, compared to .782 against righties.
Sometimes, all it takes for a veteran hitter to get right is a brief absence from the starting lineup. The Red Sox certainly hope that will be the case for O'Neill, who will need to heat back up down the stretch for Boston to play its way back into the postseson.
