Tyler O'Neill a Late Scratch for Cardinals on Tuesday

The St. Louis Cardinals made a surprising move on Tuesday when they announced that outfielder Tyler O'Neill would be a late scratch for the club's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The reason behind O'Neill being scratch was undisclosed, but the 26-year-old Canadian did miss time earlier in the campaign due to pinky and hamstring injuries.

'Jack of all trades' Tommy Edman will take O'Neill's place in the outfield while Edmundo Sosa will take over at second base for the time being.

Tyler O'Neill Injury Update

After being held to just 121 games over his first two MLB campaigns, O'Neill earned an everyday role with the Cardinals over the last two years. After winning his first Gold Glove award in 2020, he's looked solid throughout the current season. O'Neill has suited up in 89 games so far, recording 18 home runs and 41 RBI while slashing .280/.346/.518 — a significant increase over the .173/.261/.360 slash line he had last year.

The truth is that O'Neill is exactly the type of player that the Cardinals can't afford to lose at this time. With only 51 games remaining on the schedule, St. Louis is 8.5 games back of the final National League Wild Card spot. Considering that they've been averaging 4.01 runs per game in 2021, which ranks fifth-worst across the MLB, it's safe to say that runs might be even harder to come by as long as O'Neill is out of the lineup.

The Cardinals will have their first test without O'Neill as they prepare to take on the Pirates on the road Tuesday. FanDuel Sportsbook is projecting St. Louis to win at -136 odds, while Pittsburgh sits at +116 to walk out with the victory.

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