Orioles manager provides updates on injured outfielders

Mansolino did not provide an exact date for Cowser’s return, but did note that the outfielder remains in concussion protocol and is not ruling out a return later this week. Thursday would have been the minimum stint on the IL for a concussion, but it’s reasonable to see the Orioles play it safe with Cowser, who no doubt remains a major piece of this organization heading into 2026.

The O’s manager provided an update on Tyler O’Neill’s timeline as well. O’Neill left the game on August 5th against the Phillies after jamming his wrist into the outfield wall at Citizens Bank Park. The team was cautiously optimistic after an MRI on O’Neill’s wrist, but inflammation has remained, and on Wednesday, Mansolino revealed that the outfielder will not be back until late August or early September.

O’Neill was a prized offseason acquisition for the Orioles, who signed him away from their AL East rivals, the Boston Red Sox. In the first season of his three-year $49.5 million contract with Baltimore, O’Neill has appeared in just 43 games and has posted a slash line of .210/.293/.434 with eight home runs and 23 RBI.

In his limited playing time, O’Neill has flashed his tantalizing power and outfield defense. Unfortunately for O’s fans, he’s also exhibited his knack for getting injured; his current stint on the IL will be his third of the season after being sidelined with neck and shoulder injuries earlier this year.

The Orioles saw the potential in O’Neill and rewarded him handsomely for it. In his seven previous MLB seasons, O’Neill has won two Gold Glove Awards and was in the running for NL MVP in 2021. He’s also appeared in more than 100 games in a season just twice in his career and has missed well over 200 games to injury across 16 different trips to the IL.