The harsh reality: Tyler O'Neill's injury may have proven Cardinals right after all

On Monday, Boston Red Sox fans were left holding their breaths when outfielder Tyler O'Neill was forced to exit the game after a brutal collision with Rafael Devers.

Devers was able to remain in the game, but O'Neill took the worst of it and was bleeding above his eye when he walked off the field. After the game, the veteran outfielder received eight stitches and went into concussion protocols.

O'Neill has been Boston's hottest hitter to start the season, owning a slash line of .304/.448/.761 entering Monday's action. The Red Sox added him in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals this past offseason.

However, while he's off to a hot start, the Cardinals may end up being the smart ones in the room.

Tyler O'Neill injury may prove Cardinals were right to trade him

The stats will obviously paint a different picture, which would make O'Neill the latest outfielder to depart the Cardinals and reach his full potential with a new team. He would then join a long list of sluggers headlined by Randy Arozarena and Adolis Garcia.

But during his time in St. Louis, O'Neill often struggled to stay healthy. He has not played 100 or more games since his breakout campaign in 2021, and even in that season, he went on the injured list twice.

He missed significant time in 2022 and 2023 and ultimately forced the Cardinals' hand. The team had a glut of outfielders and not enough pitching, which is partially what led to the O'Neill trade last offseason.

And with O'Neill unable to stay healthy, the Cardinals were forced to make a decision, one that looks bad now but may turn out to be the right decision if the slugger is unable to stay on the field for the Red Sox.

The Red Sox are going to need him healthy if they want to be a contender this season. They'll certainly hope that O'Neill will be good to go sooner rather than later, as any time without him would be a significant blow to their offense.

The 28-year-old went 1-for-2 in yesterday's loss to the Cleveland Guardians. He bumped his average up to .313 on the young season. He also has hit seven home runs, driven in eight runs, and posted an impressive OPS mark of 1.209.

We'll see if he ends up needing more time or if he can come back soon. But if he lands on the injured list, then it may prove that the Cardinals saw something they didn't like when they traded him and that they were ultimately right to pass on him when the time came.