The Pittsburgh Pirates have suffered a notable injury blow. Johan Oveido, the 25-year-old pitcher who was the Pirates’ No. 2 starter this past season, is now set for Tommy John surgery after an elbow injury. That news was reported Saturday by MLB.com Pirates writer Francys Romero and confirmed by Jason Mackey of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Cuban RHP Johan Oviedo (25) will require surgery Tommy John, per sources.
He will undergo surgery in the upcoming days. pic.twitter.com/P8armohbHY
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) November 25, 2023
Source confirms: Johan Oviedo will have Tommy John surgery in the coming days.@francysromeroFR first.
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) November 25, 2023
Oviedo made his MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2020. He was traded to the Pirates during the 2022 season in exchange for José Quintana. In half a season last year in Pittsburgh, he pitched 30.2 innings across seven starts with a 3.23 ERA and a 2-2 record.
This year was a little rougher for Oviedo, though. He made 32 starts for the Pirates in 2023, pitching 177.2 innings and going 9-14 with a 4.32 ERA. And Mackey reported earlier this month that Oviedo was battling elbow issues and pain, and that Tommy John surgery was on the table. Now, that option has been chosen, and he’s likely to miss the entire 2024 season.
Over his MLB career to date in full, Oviedo has appeared in 72 games, making 58 starts. He’s posted a 4.32 ERA and 7.8 strikeouts per nine innings. But 2022 was a big leap forward for him, with a 3.21 ERA across 21 total games with the Cardinals and Pirates. And while this year was a bit of a step back, he was still a very solid starter for Pittsburgh, and one with a lot of upside. We’ll see what’s ahead for him after this surgery.
About Andrew Bucholtz
Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.