Bailey Falter will debut for the Kansas City Royals on Monday. After his departure from the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team needed a starting pitcher to take his place.
According to Noah Hiles, the team is reportedly activating Johan Oviedo off the injured list to make his first start since 2023. Oviedo underwent Tommy John surgery after the 2023 season and has been on a rehab assignment in the minor leagues. The righty made six rehab appearances and threw 17 1/3 innings. He posted a 3.12 ERA and 2.74 FIP.
In games where Statcast was available, Oviedo averaged 95.4 mph with his four-seam fastball. That mark is in line with his 2023 average. He also featured a slider, curveball, changeup and sinker, each of which he threw when he last saw major league action.
The righty has two more years of arbitration before becoming a free agent. He’ll figure into the Pirates pitching plans for the future.
There was some speculation that Bubba Chandler, the Pirates’ top pitching prospect, would be called up to replace Falter. Chandler is a highly ranked prospect, but hasn’t quite found consistent results in Indianapolis this season.
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The Pirates start a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants on Monday at 6:40 p.m. ET.
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