-1745819772711.png){kind=logo}
TORONTO – On Aug. 1, the Orioles’ outfield no longer included Cedric Mullins, a mainstay in center field since his breakout 2021 campaign. The next day, right-fielder Tyler O’Neill was a late scratch from the lineup due to illness. And a few days later, after a collision with the wall, O’Neill hit the injured list with wrist inflammation.
On Aug, 1, Jeremiah Jackson was called up to the big leagues after hitting a staggering .377 in 40 games with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. Most anticipated that Jackson, who played 35 of those 40 games in the infield, would fill the role vacated by Ramón Urías.
Instead, through 35 games with the Orioles, Jackson has spent 27 days in the depleted outfield and has mostly been patrolling right field, a position that he had played on just seven occasions as a minor leaguer.
Today, Baltimore’s primary right fielder, O’Neill, returns from a rehab assignment. But don’t expect Jackson and his .829 OPS to just hit the bench.
“We’ll see kind of where it goes,” Tony Mansolino said of his lineup upon O’Neill’s return. “It’ll be very day-to-day, and we’ll do the best we can with the lineup and get people in the right spots.”
On this day, O’Neill will be eased into his big league return, getting a start at designated hitter. Jackson remains in right field and Emmanuel Rivera will play third with Ryan Mountcastle at first base and Coby Mayo drawing a short straw.
But for Baltimore, it's important to get a veteran presence back.
“We’ve missed Tyler,” Mansolino said. “It’s been a tough year for him, injuries and everything that’s kind of surrounded him with that. He’s a guy that, unfortunately, when you get hurt and you’re not on the active roster, guys get disconnected from the team in a lot of ways. They might be in the building, but they’re not really a part of it. So we’ve missed having him around, having him in the dugout, playing in the games, obviously, doing what he does, which is swing the bat and swing the bat really well.”
When healthy, O’Neill has had some stretches of high-quality play. In fact, in the 10 games before he hit the injured list, the slugger hit five home runs to go along with his .333 batting average, good for a 1.267 OPS.
Unfortunately, a rhythm has been hard to find with such sporadic time on the big league field.
O’Neill appeared in 18 games to begin the season before missing time with a neck injury. Then, it was just six games in May before he went down with a shoulder injury. And before the wrist injury struck, it was 19 games in July and August.
Needless to say, not having a stretch of more than 20 healthy games won’t do any player any favors. And with just two weeks left in the 2025 season, finding a rhythm won’t be the priority.
Staying healthy will be.
“It’s going to be next year, keeping himself healthy, keeping himself in the lineup and doing everything that he can to do it, which he has this year,” Mansolino said. “He’s just had some unfortunate things pop up on him. Tyler’s a guy that we love having. Tyler’s a guy that’s an impact player. It’s been a tough year. There’s been a ton of bad luck. The tide will turn for the kid, no doubt.”
As for what it means for the lineup, Mansolino knows that O’Neill has to get his at-bats. But with young players, including Jackson, on the development track as the season winds down, the interim skipper will have to be precise with his day-to-day lineup machinations.
That could include having Jackson pushed back into the infield, his home for his minor-league career. But Mansolino doesn’t want to over-complicate things.
“We’ll kind of deduct from some different spots in different places, which will open up other areas for guys to play,” Mansolino said. “With Jeremiah, we’re doing the best we can to keep it as simple as we can right now in the big leagues and let him get used to hitting in the big leagues without having too many positions going on.”
Finding spots for healthy players isn’t a spot that the Orioles have found themselves in often this season. And while it may be a game of chess, it’s a match that Mansolino is surely welcoming.
Breadcrumbs from the skipper
Jordan Westburg is beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk, and it’s possible that Baltimore could be seeing him soon.
“Option A, if all goes well, we’d see him in Chicago,” Mansolino said. “If Westy needs more time, then it might be later than that.”
Given the standings, there’s no need to rush things.
