The Pirates depleted pitching corps took another hit over the weekend as it was announced Johan Oviedo will have Tommy John Surgery in the coming days and miss the 2024 season.
Oviedo showed gradual improvement in 2023, going 9-14 with a 4.13 ERA and a 10.6 percent walk rate in 177.2 innings pitched. The workload caught up with him, though, as Jason Mackey with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Nov. 13 that the 25-year-old was dealing with a “serious elbow injury”.
Oviedo’s recovery is expected to be between 12-14 months.
His injury leaves just one starter in the team’s rotation heading into next season: Mitch Keller. Currently, the Pirates’ immediate options are Andre Jackson, Bailey Falter, Luis Ortiz, Quinn Priester, and Roansy Contreras. Rumors speculate the team could re-sign veteran Vince Velasquez, who missed most of 2023 after having UCL surgery, but no deal is imminent.
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