O'Neill agreed to a one-year, $4.95 million contract with the Cardinals on Friday to avoid arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

O'Neill had his 2022 salary decided by an arbiter after the two sides were unable to come to terms, but an agreement was reached for 2023 ahead of Friday's deadline. The 27-year-old had a .912 OPS in 2021 but took a step back last year while dealing with multiple injuries, and he finished with a .228/.308/.392 slash line and 14 home runs in 96 contests.

O'Neill (hamstring) hasn't made enough progress to be considered for the Cardinals' wild-card roster, Jim Hayes of Bally Sports Midwest reports.

EDGE Analysis

O'Neill hasn't played since mid-September due to a strained hamstring, ending a disappointing regular season with a .228/.308/.392 slash line in 96 games. While he's made some progress in recent days, it won't be enough for him to return to action within a week, though he's yet to be officially ruled out for future rounds should the Cardinals advance.

O'Neill (hamstring) won't be activated from the 10-day injured list before the Cardinals' regular-season finale Wednesday in Pittsburgh, but manager Oliver Marmol said the outfielder could be included on the postseason roster, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Though O'Neill isn't progressing quickly enough from his left hamstring strain to play in games, he's scheduled to hit on the field over each of the next three days, which should give the Cardinals a sense of whether he'll be ready to play during the wild-card round, which begins Friday. His absence has paved the way for Dylan Carlson to re-emerge as a regular in the St. Louis outfield.

O'Neill (hamstring) will advance to agility drills and angled running Saturday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

EDGE Analysis

O'Neill has missed the last two weeks with a strained left hamstring, but he's taking steps in the right direction. Reports from earlier in the week indicated that his availability for the playoffs was in doubt, so it may still be a stretch for him to return before the end of the regular season despite his progress.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak acknowledged Tuesday that he's uncertain whether O'Neill (hamstring) will return from the 10-day injured list during the team's upcoming postseason run, Jim Hayes of Bally Sports Midwest reports. "I think there's a shot, but obviously the clock is ticking," Mozeliak said.

EDGE Analysis

O'Neill was expected to be in store for a brief stint on the IL after he was diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain Sept. 17, but Mozeliak's comments would seem to suggest the outfielder's return isn't imminent. According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, O'Neill has been hitting in the cage this week and began linear running exercises Wednesday, but he likely won't return before the end of the regular season, and his playoff availability also remains in question. Dylan Carlson has settled in as the Cardinals' primary center fielder while O'Neill has been on the shelf.

O'Neill was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

O'Neill sustained his hamstring injury while stealing a base Friday against the Reds and is optimistic that he's dealing with a Grade 1 strain, but he'll be examined further in the coming days, John Denton of MLB.com reports. Dylan Carlson should serve as the Cardinals' primary center fielder after he was reinstated from the injured list Saturday.

O'Neill isn't starting Wednesday against the Brewers.

EDGE Analysis

O'Neill started the last four games and went 4-for-14 with a homer, two doubles, three runs, an RBI, a stolen base, three walks and five strikeouts. He'll get a breather while Lars Nootbaar starts in center field and bats ninth.

O'Neill went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Pirates.

EDGE Analysis

O'Neill delivered the Cardinals' margin of victory, going deep just two batters after Albert Pujols' 697th career homer put St. Louis ahead. The long ball was O'Neill's second in nine games in September, though he's batting just .233 (7-for-30) this month. That's in line with his season average of .228, and he's added a .700 OPS, 14 homers, 12 stolen bases, 58 RBI, 53 runs scored, 10 doubles and a triple through 92 contests.

O'Neill (neck) went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and a stolen base in Friday's 8-2 loss to the Pirates.

EDGE Analysis

O'Neill missed one game with neck stiffness. He was the most productive Cardinal batter in the contest, getting aboard a team-high three times. He's had a bit of a rough start to September, going 5-for-22 (.227) over his last seven games, though he's added a home run, two steals, four RBI and four runs scored to offset the batting slump. O'Neill is slashing .227/.306/.385 with 12 steals, 13 homers, 57 RBI and 51 runs scored through 90 contests overall.

O'Neill (neck) is starting in center field and batting sixth Friday versus the Pirates, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

EDGE Analysis

O'Neill is back in the lineup after missing Thursday's contest with the Nationals while nursing neck stiffness. The outfielder has produced a .200 average with a home run, four RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base over 20 at-bats in six games this month.