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Tyler O’Neill is heading to the big leagues, and one of his old coaches is surprised it didn’t happen a season ago.

“I thought he’d be there last September,” Doug Mathieson, who is the head man for the Langley Blaze program, said of slugging outfielder O’Neill getting called up by the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. “I think with the start he’s had in Triple A, how do you ignore that? He’s putting up Bryce Harper numbers at that level so far.”

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O’Neill, 22, had hit six homers and drove in 18 runs to go with an .388 average through 12 games with the Cardinals’ top farm team, the Memphis Redbirds of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.

The barrel-chested Maple Ridge native could make his debut on Thursday, when the Cardinals look to complete a road series with the Chicago Cubs. Wednesday’s game between the teams at Wrigley Field was postponed due to inclement weather.

According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals are concerned about injury issues with centre-fielder Tommy Pham (groin).