PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – There was hope the Pirates found a rotation piece in trading Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton to the Cardinals at the trade deadline in 2022. Johan Oviedo had a 3.23 ERA in seven starts after joining the Pirates. Now he’s taking another step in returning from Tommy John surgery.
Oviedo threw a bullpen session in Bradenton on Tuesday and felt good after. Later this week he is scheduled to move forward and throw a live batting practice. Pirates Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk called it ‘a monumental moment’ for the righty who while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery suffered a lat injury.
The key for Oviedo is his velocity. He has a tendency that when he steps on the mound he wants to throw straight gas. Tomczyk believes it was the attributing factor to the lat injury this spring, trying to throw too hard too quickly. They are making sure as much as possible that he builds up his speed gradually. They don’t want him throwing all out, but he up to 93-94 miles-an-hour.
This next step they have a recommended velocity, but it will be up to Oviedo to not get too juiced going up against live batters. Given his personality, it will likely be a challenge.
The righty started 32 games in 2023, but by the last month his control waned with 19 walks and three hit batters in 23.1 innings. That offseason he would have the TJ surgery and has yet to return to a major league mound. The 27-year-old is eligible for arbitration this year and becomes a free agent in 2028.
Joey Bart
· The Pirates catcher is back to full baseball activities and going through high-intensity training. They continue to monitor him, but he’s not yet clear to return from the concussion list. Tomczyk said they assess the situation daily.
Dauri Moreta
· He remains on the injured list as he continues to work in AAA. In 13 games with Indianapolis, the righty has thrown 11.2 innings, 2.31 ERA, nine walks, 15 strikeouts, 1.37 WHIP and .184 batting average against
Colin Holderman
· The right-handed reliever is still unable to throw due to a thumb injury. Tomczyk said they’ve taken a pause in his healing. He’s not yet throwing and will reassess on Friday.