The Boston Red Sox are missing one of their biggest offseason acquisitions right now.
Johan Oviedo, the 6'6'' flamethrower who Boston acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the deal centered around prospect Jhostynxon Garca, is currently on the Injured List with a flexor strain. He was placed on the Injured List after one appearance and at the time, it was shared that he would be shut down for six weeks. That was on April 8. As of writing, it is exactly one month later, May 8.
On Thursday, Marcos Grunfeld of ElEmergente.com reported on X that the current expectation is that Oviedo will see Dr. Meister, who performed his previous Tommy John surgery and examined him this season after he got hurt, in two weeks to evaluate where he is at.
Mar 2, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Johan Oviedo (29) looks on in the dugout during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
"Johan Oviedo will see Dr. Meister in two weeks to evaluate how things are progressing, and then they will determine the next steps from there," Grunfeld wrote on X.
This would align with the initial timeline that was given when Oviedo landed on the Injured List. That would put his evaluation before the end of May and then the next steps for throwing will likely be addressed.
Boston acquired the 28-year-old flamethrower after he logged a 3.57 ERA in 2025 for the Pirates in nine starts after returning to the hill after missing the entire 2024 season. Injuries have been something that has impacted Oviedo greatly over the last few years. But he has so much upside and that's why the Red Sox went after him.
Although he hasn't been able to help much so far this season, the trade with Pittsburgh is still favorable for Boston. The Red Sox got left-handed reliever Tyler Samaniego in the deal and he hasn't allowed a run yet across his first 11 big league appearances. He has quickly turned into a key cog in one of the better bullpens in baseball. That's a positive in itself.
Garca has struggled in the Pirates' farm system so far this season. He has played in 18 total games down in the minors in the Pirates' system and has slashed .186/.216/.300 with two homers and seven RBIs. So, Garca isn't really doing anything for Pittsburgh yet and Oviedo isn't really doing anything for Boston yet. But Samaniego has been the brightest spot of the deal so far. That's positive for Boston, at least.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/red-sox/onsi as Red Sox Just 2 Weeks Away From Some Sort of Clarity on Johan Oviedo .
