When Johan Oviedo visited Pittsburgh two weeks ago, it was a one-day break from his rehabilitation assignment for a throwing session and meetings with Pirates pitching coaches Oscar Marin and Brent Strom.
This time, Oviedo’s return to PNC Park will be a celebratory occasion, as the 6-foot-6, 275-pound right-hander is scheduled to start the series opener against the San Francisco Giants, a source confirmed to TribLive.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington hinted Sunday on his weekly radio show that Oviedo was “getting really close” to completing his rehabilitation assignment, which allowed the club to deal left-handed starter Bailey Falter at the trade deadline.
“I do think we felt it probably made sense to trade one of our starters to try to open up some opportunity for other starters going into August and September,” Cherington said Thursday on a video conference call. “Certainly, Oviedo is on the cusp. He’s up to a reasonable pitch count now in Triple-A and he’s someone we want to see major league innings for.”
It will mark the first major league game for Oviedo since Sept. 27, 2023, the final of his 32 starts in a season in which he established himself as a workhorse. Oviedo, who earned a spot in the starting rotation when JT Brubaker underwent Tommy John surgery, pitched a career-high 177 2/3 innings, had a pair of outings with 10 strikeouts without a walk and tossed a 112-pitch complete game shutout over the Kansas City Royals.
But Oviedo required surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that fall, and the recovery caused him to miss the entire 2024 season. Just as he was ready to return for spring training, Oviedo suffered a lat strain that sidelined him for months.
After Oviedo threw simulated games to build his pitch count to 50-55 pitches and began his rehab assignment with the Florida Complex League Pirates, senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk called it a “monumental accomplishment.” During his visit to PNC Park on July 21, Oviedo said his “body feels amazing” and that it was more about restoring his feel for pitching and confidence on the mound.
“I definitely feel like I missed it because I’ve been out of the game for such a long time,” Oviedo said. “There’s nothing that compares to actually being on the playing field. Really excited and happy.”
Over five starts in July — two each for Low-A Bradenton and Double-A Altoona and one for Triple-A Indianapolis — he posted a 2.16 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and .183 batting average-against with 20 strikeouts and four walks in 16 2/3 innings.
Oviedo called his recovery a “long process, a long journey of workouts,” one where he learned to be more careful with controlling his velocity. He has a better understanding of when it’s necessary to use it, in situations such as runners on base, and when to dial it back.
“It’s been more mental training, I would say, a lot of patience, a lot of just trying to learn all the things that drive me through here,” Oviedo said. “So, if it happens again, I’m trying to learn from all the mistakes and the good things that happened through the whole way. Definitely also study all the stuff that happened through ‘23, which was my last year. We can work on those things, those details that can make me a better pitcher.”
Oviedo proved his point in the final two starts of the rehab assignment, when he posted a pair of outings with five strikeouts without a walk while allowing one run in five innings. Against Double-A Chesapeake on July 24, Oviedo gave up one run on four hits while throwing 42 of 63 pitches for strikes. Five days later, at the Iowa Cubs, Oviedo allowed one run on two hits, including a solo home run, while throwing 42 of his 62 pitches for strikes.
“He’s such an elite competitor, so intense,” manager Don Kelly said. “Just want to make sure that he’s healthy and going out there and throwing the ball well.”
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
