ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) – The Pittsburgh Pirates are loaded with top end pitching talent in their organization. Due to that, starting pitcher Johan Oviedo has become slightly forgotten, but may be a future piece of the puzzle in Pittsburgh.
Oviedo hasn’t played for the Pirates since September of 2023 due to Tommy John surgery. That season, he was the second-best starter for the team behind Mitch Keller.
“I just missed the whole game to be honest,” Oviedo said.
Hunter Barco next up in Pirates pitching pipeline
While his recovery has been challenging physically, it’s also been difficult mentally to be away from the game that he loves.
“It’s been more a challenge for my mind just being away for a long-time and all you want is to be out there,” Oviedo said. “(I’ve) definitely worked a lot on my mental health, so right now, I feel really good that I’m know I’m back.”
Oviedo is close to being back pitching at PNC Park. The 27-year-old was elevated from Low-A Bradenton to Double-A Altoona to continue his rehab assignment.
Johan Oviedo rehabs with Curve (WTAJ)
In 3 1/3 innings pitched on Friday, Oviedo gave up three hits, one earned run and struck out three batters, including former first overall pick Travis Bazzana. He feels like he’s one step closer to being back to himself.
“I feel like I’m really close. Definitely not trying to rush (my recovery so I’m) trying to go step by step so we don’t have another step back,” Oviedo said.
The 6’6″ right-hander believes that he has another outing lined up in Altoona before moving up again. Oviedo isn’t setting a specific timeline on his return to the Pirates but is instead trying to take the process one day at a time.
“(I just want to) focus on whatever I have to do that day and try to complete it,” Oviedo said. “At the end of the day, if feel good then it’s a big win for me.”
Oviedo has a bullpen session lined up in Pittsburgh on Monday. It makes it convenient to him that he’s able to rehab with the Curve while being close to the Pirates facilities and his MLB teammates.
“It’ll be cool to actually being around the guys, be around the team and watch the game (on Monday against the Detroit Tigers) will be amazing,” Oviedo said.
Get the latest news, weather forecasts and sports stories delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for our newsletters.
On Friday, Altoona won 2-1 in walk-off fashion off a wild pitch in the 10th inning.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ – www.wtaj.com.