Pirates Starting Pitcher Begins Rehab Assignment

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher has taken a big step on his way back from a traumatic injury process.

Right-handed starting pitcher Johan Oviedo began his first rehab assignment on June 30, joining the Florida Complex League Pirates (FCL).

Oviedo started for the FCL Pirates on June 30, taking on the FCL Twins on the road. He allowed three hits, hit a batter and two earned runs over 0.2 innings with one strikeout in the 9-2 defeat.

This marked his first official game appearance since Sept. 27, 2023, as he underwent a Tommy John procedure on his right elbow in December 2023.

Oviedo missed all of 2024 with recovery and aimed for an early return in 2025, but suffered a setback, with a right lat muscle in a live batting practice in early March, which put him back on the 60-day injured list.

He served as a member of the starting rotation for the Pirates in 2023, with a 9-14 record in 32 starts, a 4.31 ERA over 177.2 innings pitched, 158 strikeouts to 83 walks, a .237 opposing batting average and a 1.37 WHIP. He also led the National League with 11 pitcher pitch time violations.

The Pirates acquired Oviedo in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 1, 2022, just after the trade deadline. Oviedo and infielder Malcom Núñez, currently with Triple-A Indianapolis, came in for left-handed starting pitcher José Quintana and right-handed relief pitcher Chris Stratton.

Oviedo made seven starts for the Pirates in 2022 following the trade, with a 2-2 record, a 3.23 ERA over 30.2 innings pitched, 28 strikeouts to 16 walks, a .198 opposing batting average and a 1.27 WHIP.

He was born in Havana, Cuba on March 2, 1998 and represented Cuba at the 2012 15U Baseball World Championship in Chihuahua, Mexico, earning a silver medal.

Oviedo started living with his aunt and uncle in Jacksonville, Fla. in 2016 and went on to sign with the Cardinals as an international free agent on July 2. He also obtained a green card in 2018.

He finally made it to the MLB level with the Cardinals on Aug. 19, 2020 and finished with a 0-3 record over five starts, a 5.47 ERA over 24.2 innings pitched, 16 strikeouts to 10 walks and an opposing batting average of .253.

Oviedo bounced back and forth from St. Louis and Triple-A Memphis, finishing with a 0-5 record in 13 starts and 14 appearances in 2021, with a 4.91 ERA over 62.1 innings at the MLB level.

He finally got his first career win on June 22, 2022 against the Milwaukee Brewers. He also made 14 appearances and one start for the Cardinals in 2022, with a 3.20 ERA over 25.1 innings pitched.

The Pirates current rotation consists of right-handed pitchers in Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller and rookie Mike Burrows, plus left-handed pitchers in Bailey Falter and Andrew Heaney.