ST. LOUIS—Orioles outfielder Tyler O’Neill is out of the lineup for the second straight day. Manager Craig Albernaz says that O’Neill has right shoulder soreness. He injured the shoulder making a diving catch on Richie Palacios’ sinking line drive to end the ninth inning on Saturday night.
“We were hoping that he’d be fine for today,” Albernaz said. “It’s still not turning the corner so we want to make sure that we get an idea of what’s going on in there, how to better attack it.”
Albernaz says that O’Neill was scheduled for an MRI late Tuesday afternoon, and the club is bringing infielder Luis Vázquez from Triple-A Norfolk for the taxi squad.
O’Neill has been on the injured list 18 times in nine seasons.
Bautista update: Closer Félix Bautista has had his rehab assignment moved from Double-A Chesapeake to Triple-A Norfolk. On Sunday, Bautista threw 22 pitches, 10 strikes in his first game for the Baysox. Bautista allowed three runs on one hit and three walks and retired one batter.
He threw 95-97 mph.
“The biggest thing to me was that the velo was back,” Albernaz said. “That’s the first box you want to check with overall health is how hard he’s throwing the baseball and it’s matched up with what he’s doing previously, which it has, and the walks.
“We wanted him to throw more strikes, but also I can only imagine the nerves he had going out there the first time in the game setting going against another team.
“So it’s a lot there for him so I’m just happy he got out of it healthy. He got his work in, and I anticipate as he progresses through his rehab outings, his strike quality will get better just because of the nature of getting ack into the rhythm of throwing real games.”
Bautista is joined by utility player Blaze Alexander, who’s beginning his rehab assignment on Tuesday at Norfolk. Alexander has been on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left hand.
Welcome back: Five Orioles have significant ties to the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Reliever Ryan Helsley, who’s on the 60-day injured list with right elbow discomfort played seven seasons and was twice named to the National League All-Star team with St. Louis.
“It’s a special place,” Helsley said. “I spent 11 years with his organization. I grew up here, got here in this organization as a 20-year-old and left at 31. I spent a third of my life here and a lot of great memories here.”
Helsley has begun to throw bullpens. He’s already thrown one in Baltimore.
“I don’t know how many I’m going to throw, but probably have two or three days down in between early on and hopefully keep progressing and go from there,” Helsley said.
Helsley, who has had two stints on the injured list with right elbow injuries has pitched in just 17 games this season. He wants to finish the season on the field.
“I really want to,” he said. “I really want to. I’m trying to take it day-by-day right now. When you have an injury twice in the same part of your body, it’s like, ‘All right, what did I do wrong?’
“Almost check the same box twice. Obviously want to be back and help us win. You’ve got to listen to your body and if you can’t go, you can’t go, but feeling better, just taking it day-by day and trying to build that platform and be able to come back.”
Second baseman Jackson Holliday lived in St. Louis for eight years while his father, Matt Holliday, played for the Cardinals from 2009-2016.
“I’m excited. It was good to have an off day here,” Holliday said. “Parents are here, grandparents, grew up here, got to come to a lot of really cool baseball games here.”
Holliday rode around the area on his day off.
“Got to see the house I grew up in,” he said. “Just being able to drive around and remember everything.”
O’Neill played his first six seasons with the Cardinals. Reliever Andrew Kittredge appeared in 74 games and had a 2.80 ERA for St. Louis in 2024. Catcher Yohel Pozo played 85 games for the Cardinals in the last two seasons before the Orioles claimed him on waivers from St. Louis on July 23rd.
Notes: Infielder Jaiden Lo Re, the Orioles No. 18 prospect, has been promoted from Single-A Delmarva to High-A Frederick. …Double-A Chesapeake catcher Ethan Anderson has returned to the Baysox from Frederick, where he was on a rehab assignment. …Frederick utility player RJ Austin is on the 7-day injured list with right wrist discomfort. …Right-hander Zach Eflin, whose season was ended by Tommy John surgery, marked 10 years of major league service time on Tuesday.
Orioles-Cardinals lineups:
Orioles
Jackson Holliday-2B
Pete Alonso-1B
Gunnar Henderson-SS
Coby Mayo-DH
Christian Encarnacion-Strand-3B
Samuel Basallo-C
Christian Franklin-CF
Dylan Beavers-LF
Leody Taveras-RF
Chris Bassitt-RHP
Cardinals
JJ Wetherholt-SS
Iván Herrera-C
Alec Burleson-1B
Jordan Walker-RF
Joshua Báez=LF
Nolan Gorman-DH
Ramón Urías-3B
Nathan Church-CF
José Fermín-2B
Matthew Liberatore-LHP
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