Red Sox Get Long-Awaited Johan Oviedo Update
The Boston Red Sox finally have some news on pitcher Johan Oviedo.
Oviedo, who has spent the majority of the season on the injured list, had a scheduled check in for his elbow injury which showed he was progressing well through his rehab. Ahead of Wednesday's game in Kansas City, manager Chad Tracy provided a timeline for him to return to throwing.
"He's going to begin forearm strengthening exercises and then hopefully in a couple, two, three weeks he's starting to throw," Tracy told MassLive's Christopher Smith. "But everything went well with his checkup."
Red Sox pitcher Johan Oviedo's checkup showed his healing is going well.
— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) May 20, 2026
"So he's going to begin forearm strengthening exercises and then hopefully in a couple, two, three weeks he's starting to throw. But everything went well with his checkup," Chad Tracy said.
Oviedo has been sidelined with a flexor strain in his right elbow since March 30th when he made his only appearance of the season. The 28-year-old flamethrower was ineffective in that outing, allowing two homers and four earned runs in 3.2 innings of relief against the Houston Astros.
Shortly after the outing, which featured a significant dip in velocity, it was announced that Oviedo was being placed on the 15-day IL. Once diagnosed with the flexor strain, he was shut down entirely and transferred to the 60-day IL in the hopes that a prolonged rest period will help him dodge surgery.
This news does not signal an immediate plan to get him back on the mound, but it is not insignificant for Oviedo to see any kind of positive update at this point. Since going down, he has been consulting with Dr. Keith Meister, the surgeon who performed his Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of the 2024 season.
The Red Sox acquired Oviedo this offseason in a trade that sent top prospect Jhostynxon Garcia and pitcher Jesus Travieso to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Boston also landed left-hander Tyler Samaniego and catcher Adonys Guzman from Pittsburgh. So far, Samaniego has looked like the true centerpiece of the deal, boasting a 1.10 ERA across 16 appearances and becoming one of the team's most reliable left-handed relievers.
TYLER SAMANIEGO! CALM! COOL! COLLECTED! pic.twitter.com/x49P4Yft0W
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) May 20, 2026
Oviedo made just nine starts in 2025 after a lat injury delayed his return from Tommy John, posting a 3.57 ERA with 42 strikeouts. He was expected to factor into the Red Sox rotation as a back-end starter, but an inconsistent spring opened the door for the rookie left-hander Connelly Early to take hold of the role, who has been terrific through 10 starts this season.
With Oviedo now eyeing a return, it appears that he would operate in the same capacity as a bulk-man out of the bullpen. Not only would this allow him to avoid an extended build-up period and come back quicker, but it is also likely that the Red Sox would simply prefer him as a reliever. The hope is Garrett Crochet will be back soon, and Payton Tolle has earned his keep in the rotation as well, leaving no room for Oviedo barring any additional injury.
With that said, he can be a very valuable weapon out of the bullpen should he return to full strength. If the next few weeks go well, it will be interesting to monitor Oviedo's progression as he responds to rehab.
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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 6:57 AM.