Tyler O'Neill Exits Red Sox Loss After Frightening Collision With Rafael Devers

A Red Sox season that has already been hit by several key injuries nearly took a much worse turn on Monday, when two of the team's top hitters collided in left field during a 6-0 loss to the Guardians.

Rafael Devers and Tyler O'Neill were both tended to by trainers after the play, which came with two outs in the top of the seventh inning. Reliever Greg Weissert had induced a popup to shallow left field from Estevan Florial, but confusion among the fielders quickly followed.

Devers was backpedaling in left field and calling for the ball, and shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela pulled away from the sinking fly. O'Neill, charging in from deep left, did not slow down and tried to make the catch as Devers leaned back. O'Neill's face struck Devers in the back, spinning Devers around, and both players fell to the outfield grass.

Manager Alex Cora and several trainers hurried out from the dugout. O'Neill was handed a towel to control bleeding from a cut on his forehead. Devers looked shaken, putting a hand to his head before getting to his feet. Remarkably, he held on to the ball and made the catch despite the impact. Both players then walked to the dugout.

Devers stayed in the game at third base. O'Neill did not return, and Jarren Duran moved over to left field.

Starting pitcher Kutter Crawford described how difficult the moment was to watch. "As any ball player on the field, I think that's the worst play in baseball," he said. "You got the infielder running back on a blooper and you got the outfielder running in hard on the blooper. It's tough to watch." He added that nobody wants to see two teammates collide and lie on the ground.

After the game, Cora gave an update on O'Neill. "He got stitches, eight of them," the manager said. "So we'll see what happens next. He's going through concussion protocol. Hopefully everything's fine. Raffy, same deal. He says he feels good. So we'll wait and see. He'll go through the same thing."

An extended absence for O'Neill would be a significant blow to a Boston lineup that has leaned on him heavily early in the year. The 28-year-old outfielder is tied with Atlanta's Marcell Ozuna for the most home runs in the majors, with seven.