When Tyler O’Neill signed with the Orioles in December, the new placement of the left-field wall — which was moved up to 26 feet closer to home plate, depending on the spot, and 5 or 6 feet shorter — was part of what sold him.

The details of the deal, a three-year, $49.5 million contract with an opt-out after the 2025 season, surely helped.

He entered the season as the second-highest-paid player on the Orioles’ payroll, behind only Zach Eflin, whose contract carried over from the Rays after he was traded for last July. Yet O’Neill has spent most of the year on the sidelines as injuries to the neck and shoulder kept him out.

Sunday was only his 37th game of the season, but perhaps it signified a turning point. In the third inning, he sailed a homer over that same left-field wall that first attracted him to Baltimore, a two-run shot that helped the Orioles beat the Rockies 5-1 to take the series.

It was O’Neill’s third straight day with a home run, doubling his season total.

“Because of health and not being on the field, this is probably the right time you expect him to get going,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “This is May 1, end of April, and he gets hot. Look at it that way, and he’s getting a month’s amount of at-bats. Now he’s getting going.”

Those health issues started in the first month of the season, when O’Neill was placed on the injured list with neck inflammation. He was out for just above the minimum but was active for only two weeks before he went back on the IL, this time with a shoulder impingement. That injury sidelined him until July 4.

It’s hard not to try to imagine how this season could have been different if the Orioles had had his production in the outfield. There’s no way to know because other injuries have impacted the lineup, but at least now, finally, they are getting a glimpse of what they are paying for. He has a .787 OPS overall and nine hits in his last seven games.

“We knew he could do it,” said shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who himself put together a stellar day on defense. “Faced him a bunch last year, and he hit a lot of homers against us last year. We knew it was only a matter of time, just getting on the field and getting reps, and that was I feel like the biggest thing, was just getting out there.”

With the Orioles expected to be major sellers at the trade deadline — Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, Ramón Laureano, Seranthony Domínguez and Charlie Morton are among the names who could be moved — O’Neill’s role, both his on-field performance and as a clubhouse veteran, will be even more important as the team looks toward 2026. But it could also be a chance for O’Neill to raise his own value. A good second half could tempt him to use the opt-out and sign elsewhere.

That’s all in the future. On Sunday, he did what he was paid for. So did Tomoyuki Sugano, who allowed just one run on four hits in six innings. It was a glimpse of what Sugano can offer at his best, and a strong outing, even if it was against the worst team in MLB, could help him get back on track, potentially even making him a trade target as well.

“If they watch the last three starts, yeah, I’d take that,” Mansolino said. “I felt pretty good about it. If you watched that Mets start, I’d take him. In a heartbeat.”

In his previous seven starts, Sugano had pitched to a 7.88 ERA, including making it just 3 2/3 innings in his last outing, raising the question of whether he might be tipping pitches. But he got in the bullpen with the Orioles’ pitching coaches and made adjustments.

On Sunday, his sinker averaged 94.5 mph, compared to his season average of 92.5. The run against him came in the second inning, when Warming Bernabel hit his first career home run. Sugano allowed just two hits after that, finishing with a 1-2-3 sixth inning.

“Velocity goes up, and it makes everything else play good,” Mansolino said. “He looked confident today.”

This article has been updated.