PITTSBURGH -- It’s starting to feel real again for Johan Oviedo. If his words didn’t tell the story, the smile across his face did.
On Friday, Oviedo made a rehab start with Double-A Altoona, striking out three over 3 1/3 innings for the Curve. On Monday, he was back at PNC Park to throw a side session in front of coaches and the medical staff.
Oviedo still needs to make a couple more rehab outings before he can be activated off the 60-day injured list, but it was a major step forward for the right-hander, who was throwing on a regular pitching schedule at his home stadium for the first time since 2023.
"I definitely feel like I missed it, because I've been out of the game for such a long time,” Oviedo said. “There's nothing that compares to actually being on the playing field.”
Oviedo was one of the bright spots on the Pirates’ pitching staff in 2023, going 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA over 177 2/3 innings, and he looked to be part of their ‘24 rotation puzzle. That didn’t come to fruition. Oviedo wound up needing Tommy John surgery that offseason, ending his 2024 campaign before it even got started. He came to Spring Training this year in position to rejoin the staff at some point in the early portion of the season, but a lat injury while at the team’s complex in Bradenton, Fla., changed that.
While the lat injury didn’t impact Oviedo’s surgically repaired elbow, it did force him to pause his buildup and throwing program. As a result, he not only had to pause his rehab, he had to retrace his steps in the throwing program and build back up again.
"I'm a strong believer that everything in life happens for a reason,” Oviedo said. “Being patient has never been a strong side of me, so this whole time has been a test that maybe I've needed to go through so I can grow a little bit more as a person. ... I definitely feel more calm in a lot of situations, so I feel like during the game, it'll help out more than it has in the past.”
Oviedo still needs more rehab outings, but given that the Bucs’ rotation could have a shakeup between now and the July 31 Trade Deadline, there could be some playing opportunity soon, even if the role isn’t set in stone right now.
On Monday, manager Don Kelly shared that the original plan was for Oviedo to be used as a bulk reliever to start the year and then work his way back into the rotation. Pittsburgh views him as a starter long-term, but as for his impending return, Kelly said, “I can't say when he gets back up here it's 100% going to be a starter.”
“Just him being healthy and going out and showing the stuff, and continuing to get back out there [is important],” Kelly said. “He missed all of last season and then the first four months of this [season]. Now, he's ramping back up, getting the juices going again and finding ways to get out there. He's such an elite competitor, so intense, just want to make sure that he's healthy and going out there and throwing the ball well."
As far as his rehab, though, Oviedo has been used only as a starter.
"Right now, it's been more about [getting] ready to start,” Oviedo said. “The whole conversation's been about hitting five innings. That's what I know and that's what I'm trying to focus on right now, just trying to hit those five innings and let the team decide what I have to be or where I can help."
Until then, Oviedo is still building back up, stronger and more patient than before. That could yield good things and give the Pirates another quality arm for their rotation.
“Right now, my body feels amazing,” Oviedo said. “For me, it's more about [pitch] feel and confidence right now. The more reps, the more execution and the more throws that I make. The more I'm around the actual games with real routines, every five days or every six days to have a normal routine, show up to the field. Those have been the keys for me.
“The more I do that the better I feel every time. I can see from my outings, the first one compared to the last one is way different, so I'm really happy and proud of it.”