Red Sox Slugger Heading To Injured List For Second Time This Season

Tyler O'Neill's recent injury history was a cause for concern when the Boston Red Sox acquired him from the St. Louis Cardinals this past offseason.

And O'Neill hasn't completely steered clear of the injury bug during his first season with the Red Sox.

O'Neill landed on the 10-day injured list due to right knee inflammation Wednesday just prior to Boston's series finale against the Baltimore Orioles. The move is retroactive to May 26 and it's the second IL stint for O'Neill on the season. Enmanuel Valdez was recalled to take O'Neill's place on the active roster.

Alex Cora told reporters Tuesday that O'Neill was sent back to Boston early for "reassurance" about his injury, but he doesn't expect it to be serious.

O'Neill, who leads the Red Sox with 11 home runs, got off to a torrid start this season, but his offensive production precipitately dropped off in May. He hit just .151 with just two homers and five RBIs in 20 games this month while striking out 36 times in 73 at-bats.

The 28-year-old outfielder really hasn't been the same hitter since a scary collision with Rafael Devers in mid-April. O'Neill suffered a concussion on the unfortunate play and was placed on the 7-day injured list.

Valdez hit just .156 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in 28 games for the Red Sox this season before being optioned to Triple-A Worcester at the start of May.

Valdez has almost exclusively played second base during his time with the Red Sox, but he said he was open to playing the outfield this spring. He has started 17 games in the outfield in his career in the minors.