Injury proneness has been a staple of Tyler O'Neill's recent seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. When the Boston Red Sox signed him, they likely didn't expect a leg infection to be one of the reasons he'd be stuck on the sidelines.
O'Neill fell sick with a stomach virus and missed their Aug. 3 matchup with the Royals. Boston expected him to bounce back quickly and be able to play before the end of its series in Kansas City, but he missed more time than expected.
The slugger wasn't initially moved to the injured list for his illness, but he was placed on the 10-day IL on Aug. 7 with a calf infection. Manager Alex Cora shared that the infection began during Boston's series against the Rangers in Arlington, Texas, but progressed in Kansas City.
The team is unsure if O'Neill's infection is related to his illness in any way, but Cora stated his outfielder was "in bad shape," and his "leg was huge" when he woke up on the last day in Texas.
Tyler O'Neill's quick rehab will be key to Red Sox second half
O' MY O'NEILL.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 28, 2024
TYLER GOES YARD AGAIN FOR HIS SECOND MULTI-HR GAME THIS WEEK! pic.twitter.com/dzmMfpYJuU
A leg infection of uncertain origin is a frightening diagnosis for anyone, but the health of O'Neill's legs is critical to his job. He's eligible to come off the IL on Aug. 14, as his stint is retroactive to Aug. 4 — hopefully, the Sox's timeline of his rare ailment is correct.
O'Neill had been on a tear since the All-Star break. He's batting .300/.348/.667 with six homers in his last 15 games and he's been one of the Red Sox's best weapons against lefty pitchers. He's been key to the Sox's recent high-level offense and his speedy recovery could be key to Boston's second-half success.