The Baltimore Orioles got the kind of spark they’ve been waiting for all season—and it came with a leg kick and a crack of the bat. Gary Sánchez returned from the injured list with authority, launching a 394-foot blast in his third plate appearance to help Baltimore secure a 6–5 win over the Los Angeles Angels. For a team that has struggled mightily against left-handed pitching, Sánchez’s power surge couldn’t have come at a better time.
But if Baltimore’s front office thinks a 32-year-old backup catcher can reverse the course of a sinking season, it might already be too late to save it.
Sánchez, who’d been sidelined since April 28 with a wrist injury, showed signs of life during his rehab stint at Triple-A Norfolk and immediately delivered a 394-foot blast in his third plate appearance Saturday. It was a moment the Orioles desperately needed—not just for the win column, but for morale.
He wasn’t alone. Jordan Westburg and Ramón Laureano are back as well, joining Sánchez as right-handed reinforcements for a team that has been historically bad against left-handed pitching. Entering Saturday, Baltimore was hitting just .203 with a .557 OPS against lefties—both among the worst in baseball.
Tyler O’Neill Setback Compounds Baltimore’s Problems
But optimism should be cautious at best. The Orioles are still 11 games below .500. They’ve been trying to patch offensive holes all season, and if the plan is to ride a hot week from Sánchez into a second-half turnaround, the front office is ignoring a more brutal truth: this isn’t a contender. It’s a team that needs to consider selling seriously.
That reality became clearer Sunday when the club shut down outfielder Tyler O’Neill from all baseball activities after renewed shoulder soreness derailed his rehab. Signed to a three-year, $49.5 million deal in the offseason, O’Neill was supposed to be the right-handed power bat that made up for Anthony Santander’s departure. He was suppose to complemented the lefty-heavy outfield of Cedric Mullins, Heston Kjerstad, and Colton Cowser.
Instead, O’Neill has played just 24 games, hitting .188 with a .280 OBP and two homers. His return has no timetable, and the best-case scenario is now a slow ramp-up that leads to another rehab assignment. The worst case? He doesn’t make any meaningful impact at all this year.
The Math Doesn’t Favor a Late-Season Surge
Even the team’s supposed fix for lefty pitching—Laureano—has reverse splits in 2025, hitting better against righties than lefties. That leaves Sánchez, who’s still a part-time player behind Adley Rutschman, as the team’s best hope for balance. That’s not a formula for climbing back into the AL Wild Card race.
Sánchez certainly still has a pop—his 185 career homers aren’t an accident—but counting on him to carry a lineup while sharing duties at DH or backing up Rutschman is shortsighted. His return may improve the vibe in the dugout, but vibes don’t fix what’s broken: a stagnant offense, a struggling rotation, and a roster missing key pieces.
Baltimore Needs to Face Reality
Even a modest hot streak from Sánchez doesn’t change the bigger picture. The Orioles’ best course might be to shop veterans like Laureano or even explore interest in Sánchez himself. With multiple teams likely to seek cheap power at the deadline, there could be value in moving him early.
This team needs more than a leg kick and a solo shot to save the summer. If the front office is waiting for Gary Sánchez to make everything right, it’s already time to pivot. Baltimore should start selling before the market dries up.
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