The Pirates placed right-hander Johan Oviedo on the 60-day injured list. That opens a 40-man roster spot for fellow righty Justin Lawrence, whose previously-reported waiver claim from the Rockies is now official.
The news comes as something of a surprise. Oviedo had undergone Tommy John surgery in November of 2023. He missed the entire 2024 season but it seemed fair to expect him to be healthy coming into 2025 and there hadn’t been any reporting to suggest otherwise. Manager Derek Shelton tells Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that a “lat issue” has surfaced during a recent bullpen session.
This move now means Oviedo will be on the injured list for at least the first two months of the season. IL placements can be backdated to three days before Opening Day but the 60-day count doesn’t start until then, meaning Oviedo can’t be reinstated until late May at the earliest.
Prior to this IL placement, Oviedo projected to be in the mix for a back-end rotation spot, though that will no longer be the case. The Bucs have a front three in their rotation consisting of Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller. They recently signed Andrew Heaney to take a spot. Oviedo and Bailey Falter were perhaps the most logical candidates for the final spot.
Perhaps this news on Oviedo will give Falter a smooth path to a season-opening rotation gig, though the Bucs have some intention of stretching out relievers Carmen Mlodzinski and Caleb Ferguson to see how they handle longer outings. The Pirates also have Braxton Ashcraft and Mike Burrows on the 40-man roster while prospects like Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington are in camp as non-roster invitees.
All the more reason to have signed Heaney.
All the more reason to NOT have given away Ortiz for a broken down 1st baseman who can only hit righties to begin with
Why not trade a Ortiz when you can just sign a Heaney Quintana for 5m? They are just as good. Actually better giving the young staff a veteran and more importantly being left handed.
Maybe Horowitz comes back better than ever! If not better fire the medical staff, the gm that hired him, and the hockey guy who hired him. Unfortunately stuck with Nutting.
Do you actually watch games? Seriously. Do you watch?
In what universe are Quintana and Heaney as good as Ortiz was down the stretch? Discount the D’Backs game. You can’t be serious. A kid with upside for a couple middling—at best— veterans.
As for Horwitz, dream on
He’ll be heading for Asia this offseason
Heaney 2.3 bb 8.9 k 4.04 fip
Ortiz 2.8 bb 7.1 k 4.25 fip
And he is left handed. Left handed much more rare. Playing half games in PNC could make him even better.
What’s so good about his down the stretch? 2.84 era 1st half 3.78 2nd half. 4.19 august. 3.97 September.
So you DIDN’T watch him pitch down the stretch. Instead, you’re gonna pull a “bright eyes” on me.
Hilarious
I get where you’re coming from, and Horowitz shouldn’t be seen as the solution to the lineups issues, but he looked like a promising if unproven piece. It’s unfair to say he’s broken down when he’s still young and has hit in the majors, but how bad is this injury? If it’s another Hayes type that saps his hitting, we’re cooked.
I would try to trade for Torkelson or Andrew Vaughn asap. They are questionable but could start at first and figure out the rest later. Should have never put themselves in this situation in the first place.
Should have just got Canha for completely free like Milwaukee did.
Spencer Horowitz II
Quintana would have been a good choice. Bad timing for sure.
Heaney just as good maybe better. They preferred Quintana but he wasn’t that interested.
The Bucs offered more to Quintana before signng Heaney but Quintana turned them down. Must have thought he could have gotten either more for the year or a 2 year year deal and did not get it. I believe it was planned for Oviedo to go on the 60 ev4ntuslly anyway to work him back slowly from TJ just like all teams do.
There’s a reason why Quintana hasn’t signed. I’d imagine he’s asking for a lot of money. I assume he would have just went right back to the Mets.
He signed earlier today 4 to 5 million. Mets are so over the tax 5m becomes 10m to them. Not sure if Cohen can still write off most of that still or not. But if it hasn’t ran out ye it’s coming soon.
unless one is our top prospect pitchers makes the opening day roster, looks like more bullpen games for the season
Agreed, TheMan3. Maybe they can bring back VanMeter to throw some innings in blowouts
It’s gonna be an awful season
it would have been an awful season just with the likes of signing Pham, Frazier and trading for an injured first baseman who can’t hit lefties
Soencer Horwitz had a higher OPS last season than all but four MLB first baseman who had at least 300 plate appearances.
His injury arose after the Pirates traded for him and he’s only out for 6 to 8 weeks. He’ll be starting for the Pirates before the end of April..
Starting staff is set. Someone gets hurt soon they simply sign Gibson Lynn or someone. Someone gets hurt in April Ferguson Majinski. May June Burrows Ashcraft Harrington Bubba. Maybe Oviedo comes back.
But with Skenes Keller Heaney you could do bullpen games.
Hahahahaha.
The starting staff is set. (You forgot Jones)
The rebuild is over
What a pathetic joke this team is
It’s a good starting rotation that will get even better when Chandler and Harrington arrive.
Keller is a league average starter (meaning a #3) with a FIP- around the league average of 100.
He has struggled in the second half of the last two seasons, with his groundball percentage dropping and his HR rate greatly increasing. He might benefit from stricter innings and pitch limits in the first half.
Not holding my breath for it, but I hope this opens the door for Bubba Chandler.
Or at least Braxton Ashcraft or Mike Burrows. Both are already on the 40-man, and Burrows even made his MLB debut last year.
Yeah brighteyes. They already lost a year of Skenes and a year of Jones. Lets just throw away a year Bubba. Eliminate a year of contention and start next rebuild a year sooner.
I would pitch one of them out of the pen. Ashcraft has built up such low innings, not sure if he could start, but maybe he could close eventually?
Trade Falter before he gets hurt, that would leave the door open for Caleb Ferguson or bubba Chandler. Looking at Fergusons minors stats he was a very good starter. Give him a shot. Keller still needs to step up or Chandler has his spot.
Keller has had his shot, it’s been uninspiring.
I’m not a big Keller fan. I mean, he’s a back end starter, nothing more These streaks he has where he can’t keep his fastball off of Main Street and loses the touch on his spin pitches is disturbing for a guy that’s been here for awhile
But there’s no way Chandler “takes his place” this season. Or Ferguson. Or Ashcraft. Or Harrington
Keller’s not the problem here
Lack of baseball talent playing for a scumbag owner is problem #1
Keller backend starter lol.
On a good staff, he’s 3 or 4
Why trade anything for Falter? You could have just signed Perez Heaney Quintana for 5m. Or traded a platoon 1b with a trashed wrist for Ortiz.
Why are so called Pirate fans wanting to throw away a year of Bubba? If you wait until mid April you get the extra year unless he wins ROY. Wait until June and he won’t be able to win ROY and no super two. Bubba missing 2 to 10 starts and you get an entire additional year as him as a Pirate. You are worried about only 2025 when 2030 31 32 are just as important. Actually more important. Skenes Jones Keller will be long gone likely. KG can’t do it all alone so gotta give him so pitching.
There’s the cold water toss
Let’s think about the financials and not building a winning team.
It’s a never ending circle in this town. Always two years away from being two years away
Losing Oviedo for 60 days is not the crisis that the Nutting-haters want to make it out to be.
Skenes, Keller, Heaney, Jones, and Falter is a pretty good starting rotation.
Luis Ortiz had a 104 FIP- last year, meaning he was 4% worse than the average major league pitcher. Spencer Horwitz had a 127 wRC+, He was 27% *Better*than the league average hitter.
*
But some will insist that any move the Pirates make is a bad move for no other reason than that it was made by the Pirates. They’re the ones who complained bitterly about trading Andrew McCutchen for Bryan Reynolds, and Tony Watson for Oneil Cruz..
I’m thankful that this is the last of your inane postings I have to wade through. Your continued love of stats—like that of “bright eyes”—makes it clear you never played, coached or managed the game and that really, it’s doubtful you even watch the games
You’re here to defend scumbag owner and blow a lot of smoke up skirts
Pirates fans have lost their minds. You got Skenes enjoy it. Looks like another 76 win team but just need a few surprises. If Jack is Back you got a 500 team. If Davis reaches realistic potential you make run at division. Doesn’t have to be those 2. Could be Yorke Cook Endy. Likely not happening but at least give it a month. What won’t make a difference is 2 or 3 more starts of Bubba. And it won’t even be more. He isn’t throwing 200 innings so any starts he gets in April will be starts he won’t get in August September and get ready to lol Buctober!!!!!
Complete nonsense
In fact, it’s less than that.
The same “ifs” we saw in November
Yes, if I hit the power ball I may put an offer in for the team
70-72 wins
Write it down
There are Pirate “fans” who HOPE the team will lose because they want to keep moaning and whining..