Pittsburgh Pirates' Johan Oviedo Facing Elbow Injury, Tommy John Surgery on the Table

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pittsburgh Pirates are weighing potential next steps with starting pitcher Johan Oviedo and his right elbow issues.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Johan Oviedo is dealing with right arm and elbow issues, according to a report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jason Mackey on Monday.

The team is still weighing its options with how to approach Oviedo's injury moving forward. Per Mackey, Tommy John surgery is potentially on the table for the 25-year-old right-hander, which would keep him off the mound for a full season.

Per sources: Pirates pitcher Johan Oviedo dealing with right elbow issues/pain.

Nothing definitive yet on how to fix the problem, but Tommy John has been discussed. Story to come.

— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) November 13, 2023

Oviedo got his start with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2020, holding a spot in the team's rotation before he got flipped to the Pirates in exchange for All-Star starting pitcher José Quintana at the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline.

The Cuban hurler closed out the 2022 season with a 3.23 ERA in seven starts in Pittsburgh, and he was the Pirates' No. 2 starter to open the 2023 campaign.

Oviedo went 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA, 1.373 WHIP and 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings across 32 appearances this year, including 14 quality starts and a compete game shutout. He ranked seventh on the team and third among Pirates pitchers with a 2.1 WAR.

For his career, Oviedo is 13-25 with a 4.32 ERA, 1.397 WHIP and 7.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

Losing Oviedo would deal a significant blow to the top end of the Pirates' rotation in 2024. Beyond that, Pittsburgh's front office has yet to extend 27-year-old ace Mitch Keller, who has just two years of team control remaining.

Rich Hill, who is currently a free agent and will turn 44 years old before next season, was the only other pitcher who logged more than 75.0 innings as a starter for the Pirates in 2023. A pair of 24-year-olds, Luis Ortiz and Roansy Contreras, rounded out the bottom of the rotation with a combined 5.44 ERA.

JT Brubaker missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April, while Vince Velasquez got knocked out for the year in June thanks to a UCL procedure of his own.

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