Some potentially bad news for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Pirates insider Jason Mackey of the Post-Gazette report that right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo is dealing with elbow pain in his throwing arm.
“Nothing definitive yet on how to fix the problem, but Tommy John has been discussed,” Mackey said on Twitter/X.
Oviedo went 9-14 last season with a 4.31 ERA over 32 starts.
He has 158 strike outs over 177.2 inning pitched, but did have 83 walks.
Oviedo was one of the few consistent starters for the Pirates last season, along with Mitch Keller.
Oviedo is essentially guaranteed a spot in the 2024 rotation.
At 25, Oviedo has good stuff and a five-pitch arsenal, so his numbers should be better than they are.
But his stuff is there and has the potential to break out. Hopefully he isn’t out over a year with surgery.