BALTIMORE - Tyler O’Neill is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list, but that doesn’t mean he’s anywhere near a return.
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Saturday that he wasn’t optimistic O’Neill would make it back before the season ends on September 27 th. O’Neill is dealing with right shoulder inflammation after injuring the shoulder on a diving catch.
“It’s tough what he’s dealing with right now,” Albernaz said. “We’re trying to assess him each day.
He’s going out there and working his tail off. I think he’s trying to move the bat here soon, and kind of go from there.
It’s going to be a day-to-day thing with T.O. just because of the nature of the injury.”
With O’Neill still sidelined, Heston Kjerstad is set for a bigger opportunity. Recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday, Kjerstad had only two pinch-hit appearances before getting the start in right field Saturday night against the Red Sox.
Kjerstad hit .289 with 11 home runs and 33 RBIs and a .799 OPS in 79 games for the Tides, and Albernaz made it clear the organization likes what it has in him.
“The person’s awesome,” Albernaz said. “He’s beloved in the clubhouse, and during spring training, the bat is real.
It was impressive to see him hit every single day, not only in the games, but also the work. It’s a real impact bat with some juice.
“What I like about him in spring training is the ability to hit the ball to all fields, take his hits the other way and then still keep the same power in what he’s gone through in a year-and a half.
“It was a short glimpse during spring training, but he improved during spring training with the outfield play. We’re excited to get the bat here and just the person here as well.”
Albernaz also pointed to the roster math behind Kjerstad’s arrival. For years, clubs carried 25 players from Opening Day to September 1 st before expanding to as many as 40. Now the standard roster is 26, and teams add two players for the rest of the season on September 1st.
“Now, you’ve got to be very strategic in who you call up, and to get Heston up here, it’s definitely a need for us.”
The Orioles’ lineup Saturday night had Jackson Holliday at DH, Blaze Alexander at second, Gunnar Henderson at short, Pete Alonso at first, Samuel Basallo catching, Kjerstad in right, Christian Encarnacion-Strand at third, Dylan Beavers in left and Colton Cowser in center, with Chris Bassitt on the mound.
The Red Sox countered with Roman Anthony at DH, Mickey Gasper at first, Wilyer Abreu in right, Trevor Story at short, Nick Sogard at third, Isiah Kiner-Falefa at second, Jarren Duran in left, Eli White in center, Connor Wong catching and Sonny Gray pitching.
In Other News...
Unexpected Celebrity Spotted At Camden Yards During Orioles Game
Ken Jennings made an unexpected stop at Camden Yards during the Orioles' recent game, turning a routine night at the ballpark into a small pop-culture detour. The Jeopardy! host was there with his son as part of a family project to visit all 30 major league stadiums, and for Baltimore fans it offered a reminder that the charm of Orioles baseball extends well beyond the home dugout.
Jennings, a Mariners fan, also looked back on previous trips to Camden Yards and talked about how his own Jeopardy! run still shapes the way he thinks about pressure and preparation. He noted how hard it is to become a Jeopardy! contestant in the first place, and even drew a parallel between that experience and stepping into a major league game, which makes his visit feel less like a celebrity sighting and more like the kind of baseball memory that sticks. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fifth-Round Pick Is Rising Faster Than Anyone Expected
Jaiden Lo Re has spent his first professional season moving quicker than most fifth-round picks do, climbing from the Florida Complex League all the way to High-A Frederick. The 2025 draftee has backed up the rise with production, batting .323 across 86 games while showing the kind of controlled approach the Orioles tend to value in their system.
His profile has only gotten more interesting as the season has gone on. Lo Re ranks No. 19 on Baltimores Top 30 Prospects list, has a 53/34 walk-to-strikeout ratio, and has kept his swinging-strike rate low while bouncing around multiple positions. He has also added 26 stolen bases, giving the Orioles a versatile young player whose development has already outpaced expectations. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Suddenly Have An Offensive Problem They Can't Ignore
The Orioles slide at Camden Yards has reached the point where the offense is starting to feel like the bigger concern than the losing streak itself. Baltimore fell 5-0 to the Red Sox, and while Chris Bassitt battled into the sixth with the bases loaded, the lineup again came up empty against Sonny Gray, who worked seven scoreless innings and kept the game in Bostons control from start to finish.
For a club trying to stay afloat in the standings, the lack of punch has become hard to ignore. A two-run double by Isiah Kiner-Falefa opened the door for the Red Sox, Blaze Alexander helped turn in key defensive plays, and the Orioles finished with only a handful of hits as their scoreless stretch kept growing. Five straight losses is one thing, but when the bats go quiet for this long, it changes the conversation around a team very quickly. [Read more 🡒]