Pittsburgh Pirates starter Johan Oviedo will undergo Tommy John surgery, according to a report by Francys Romero. The starter pitched 177.2 innings in 2023, putting up a 4.31 ERA and a 4.49 FIP. The performance would have locked him in as one of the few reliable starting options the Pirates have.
Without Oviedo, the Pirates currently have just one reliable starting pitcher, and that is Mitch Keller. They’ve got options who could make up at least two bullpen-led spots in the rotation. The loss of Oviedo exacerbates the Pirates’ current need for starting pitching, to the point where it is going to be a necessity to add two starters from the outside.