The Cardinals introduced this morning that they’ve positioned outfielder Tyler O’Neill on the 10-day injured checklist with a proper foot sprain. First baseman Juan Yepez was recalled from Triple-A within the corresponding transfer. The sprain presumably brings O’Neill’s 2023 marketing campaign to a detailed, given the restricted time remaining on the common season schedule.
Regardless of rampant hypothesis early within the season that the membership might deal O’Neill following an incident again in April the place he was benched by supervisor Oli Marmol for a perceived lack of hustle, no such commerce materialized earlier than the commerce deadline on August 1. That could possibly be thanks no less than partially as a consequence of O’Neill’s tough first half. The 28-year-old made it into simply 29 video games with the Cardinals previous to the All Star break due to a low again pressure, slashing simply .228/.283/.337 with a 34.3% strikeout charge in these first 99 journeys to the plate this season.
Whereas his season began off on a tough observe, O’Neill has seemed significantly improved on the plate in current months. His .233/.329/.445 slash line in 167 plate appearances since coming back from damage shortly after the All Star break is way extra palatable than his early season numbers. His strikeout charge has plummeted to only 19.8% over that interval, whereas his stroll charge has ticked as much as 12.6%, a substantial leap from the 7.1% charge he posted within the first half. With that improved self-discipline on the plate and the power to play middle subject, O’Neill could possibly be a invaluable participant to the Cardinals as he heads into his last yr of staff management in 2024, whether or not that be as a commerce chip or as a bit of the membership’s outfield subsequent yr.
With Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Walker presumably locked into every single day enjoying time, O’Neill must struggle for enjoying time with the likes of Yepez, Dylan Carlson, and Alec Burleson for enjoying time within the outfield and at DH, assuming trades aren’t made to clear the membership’s outfield logjam. Because of O’Neill’s damage, Yepez will get his first prolonged alternative this season to showcase his abilities on the huge league degree. After a stable rookie marketing campaign with the Cardinals the place he batted .253/.296/.447 in 76 video games, Yepez has made simply 46 plate appearances within the majors this yr, slashing a lackluster .214/.283/.381 in that restricted enjoying time. That being stated, Yepez has gotten on a heater on the Triple-A degree in current weeks with a .305/.356/.481 slash line over his previous 45 video games. If he can preserve that kind of manufacturing up on the huge league degree within the last weeks of the season, Yepez might re-establish himself as a contender for extra enjoying time within the majors headed into 2024.
Extra from St. Louis…
- The Cardinals shall be with out left-hander JoJo Romero for longer than initially anticipated, as famous by MLB.com. Marmol informed reporters yesterday that Romero, who went on the injured checklist earlier this month as a consequence of knee tendinitis, is “nonetheless engaged on strengthening his knee” and that the present plan is for him to throw one other facet session at the moment earlier than figuring out when he’ll return to motion. Romero has taken on a excessive leverage position within the St. Louis bullpen within the weeks because the membership moved on from nearer Jordan Hicks on the commerce deadline, and the 27-year-old lefty has thrived in his new position. In 17 innings of labor (12 appearances) since recording his first save, Romero has posted a 3.18 ERA with a microscopic 0.79 FIP. That unimaginable determine is due to a whopping 35.8% strikeout charge in opposition to a minuscule 3% stroll charge throughout that timeframe.
- St. Louis parted methods with right-hander Jack Flaherty at this yr’s commerce deadline, dealing him to the Orioles in a buzzer-beating deal that introduced again a trio of kids. That deal coming to fruition was removed from a assure, nonetheless. As reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal earlier this week, the Cardinals practically got here to an settlement with the Rays to ship Flaherty to Tampa, although the deal collapsed within the medical evaluation stage of the method. Since then, the Rays misplaced left-hander Shane McClanahan to Tommy John surgical procedure, additional weakening the membership’s beginning rotation. Whereas it’s price questioning if Tampa’s curiosity within the pending free agent might carry over into the offseason, it needs to be famous that Flaherty has struggled badly since becoming a member of the Orioles, with a 7.11 ERA in seven begins for Baltimore.
