Intriguing Pirates Pitcher Working Way Back From Injury

The Pittsburgh Pirates could be adding to their pitching staff in the near future. According to Anthony Murphy of DK Pittsburgh Sports, right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo is beginning a rehab assignment Monday. His rehab assignment can last 30 days, so he’ll need to be activated or optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis around the trade deadline.

Oviedo underwent Tommy John surgery after the 2023 season, causing him to miss all of 2024. The last time he pitched, he was 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA in 177 2/3 innings. The previous season, he spent time with both the St. Louis Cardinals before joining the Pirates. He registered a 3.21 ERA over 56 innings between the rotation and the bullpen.

While he hasn’t appeared in game action in some time and his latest stat line doesn’t jump off the page, he has some interesting qualities that make him an intriguing option for the future.

His breaking balls were very good in his last season. His slider was his best pitch. Oviedo threw it both in and out of the zone, for called strikes and whiffs. Lefties hit just .203 against it, while righties were a touch higher at .217. His curveball showed flashes as well, although it was inconsistent.

His four-seam fastball is promising. He averaged 96 mph and strides down the mound well, making the velocity play up. The spin is very “inefficient” as well, meaning it doesn’t contribute to total movement. Due to this, he doesn’t create as much vertical movement as expected, resulting in frequent swings over the ball and a 56.1% ground ball rate.

Control is an issue, though. He’ll need to be in the zone more often to limit walks and be effective. His fastball, in particular, needs to be in the zone more often to be successful. He could also use a more breaking ball-heavy approach to stay ahead in counts.

His role remains to be seen as well. He’s worked as both a starter and reliever previously. He also has options, so he could remain in Indianapolis until his services are needed.

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