The swing and the sound were vintage Tyler O’Neill. A positive perfect storm creating a loud clap of thunder and putting more runs on the scoreboard.

This is the version of Tyler O’Neill that the Orioles anticipated for the 2025 season and perhaps beyond, depending on the opt-out clause in his three-year, $49.5 million free-agent contract.

His health didn’t allow it, whether keeping him off the field or out of the batting cages, but O’Neill is teasing again – just like he did in March with three hits on Opening Day, including another home run, and four on the 31^st in Boston.

O’Neill homered in four consecutive games and almost made it five last night in the nightcap of a doubleheader, his drive to deep left field in the fifth inning so close to sneaking inside the pole that the Orioles challenged the call. The at-bats are much better, much more competitive.

For example, O’Neill saw 19 pitches in his first three plate appearances in Game 1, running the count full each time and producing a sacrifice fly, a walk and single after falling behind 0-2. O’Neill changed his approach and homered on a first-pitch slider in the sixth, and he struck out on six pitches in the seventh.

O’Neill raised his game total to 39 this season, with neck and shoulder injuries forcing shutdowns. Give him an extended stretch without interruptions and watch his numbers improve. Home runs in four consecutive games set a personal record, and he had multiple hits in four of his last five games before the nightcap.

“I just feel like I was a little limited early on in the season,” he said yesterday morning. “I obviously got off to a slow start and just wasn’t able to work through some stuff. Been working really hard with the medical staff and the hitting guys and just feel like I’m in a good spot now overall. Physically, mechanics are a little bit better. Little things like that.”

A big thing was being unable to play for his new team and struggling when he did. He went 6-for-51 in April and 1-for-15 with six strikeouts in May before the neck inflammation.

“It kind of just is what it is, but obviously just trying to look at the big picture,” he said. “Stay in the moment and just understand there’s a lot of baseball left in the season. Looking back on it from April and May, my focus was just to come back strong and come back healthy. Play to my capabilities. So I feel like I’m starting to draw that fine line and do a better job of that.”

What follows is the form that led O’Neill to his 31 home runs for the Red Sox last season, three shy of his career high with the Cardinals in 2021, when he finished eighth in Most Valuable Player voting in the National League.

“Yeah, we’ve seen him hit like that before, like he did last year with the Red Sox,” said Ramón Urías. “That is what he does. He hits for power, and he’s doing it right now.”

“T.O. when he's healthy, he's a game-changer, man,” said Ryan O’Hearn. “He impacts the game.”

“The people that I know around the league that have had (O'Neill), and I’ve talked to people just because there have been so many ups and downs here with his health and whatnot, they’ve all told me when he gets hot, watch out, because he’ll carry the team," said interim manager Tony Mansolino. "That’s kind of what we’re witnessing right now. It’s pretty neat.”

The injuries and their impact on his stats made it seem pretty clear that O’Neill would return to fulfill the final two years of his deal. Any shift that happens with a torrid stretch isn’t done with his contract in mind.

It’s late July, there are plenty of games left and he just wants to keep hitting and contributing. Stay in the moment, or where your feet are, as so many players say.

“I’m not gonna talk about if I’m gonna opt out or not at this point,” he said. “I’m not really interested in looking that far ahead right now. I’m just really trying to focus on winning ballgames right now and staying healthy and playing with these guys on a day-to-day basis.”

* O’Hearn remains with the Orioles, but for how much longer?

The industry assumption is that he’ll be traded by 6 p.m. Thursday.

“I've had some time to kind of process and understand what is potentially about to happen,” he said. “Just definitely trying to enjoy every minute with these guys. We've grinded together all year long, so to potentially leave in the next few days sucks. It really does. But at the same time, I'm going to enjoy every minute with them.

“That's how this game is. You form friendships and bonds with guys, and then the business side can hinder that. It's been fun the last few days, and the last two weeks, three weeks, I don't know, we've been playing pretty well. Just trying to soak up every moment with these guys because I care about everyone in this locker room. I really have enjoyed and still am enjoying playing with them.”

O’Hearn said he isn’t nervous or anxious about his uncertain future and where his bags will be unpacked.

“It's kind of like, if I'm leaving, let me know where I'm going and then I'll worry about it then,” he said. “I think it's human nature, you open up Google or something and you see a picture of your face on there, and it's like, 'All right, like, let me check that out, I guess.' But for the most part, I try to stay away from the articles and the media.

“My mom doesn't. My mom reads it. But personally, me, I'm trying to stay away from that, try to be where my feet are, show up to the yard every day, enjoying being an Oriole. I've enjoyed being an Oriole the last three years, and that's not going to change now.”