Oviedo (elbow) will make rehab start on Thursday

Add another arm into the mix of potential postseason relief options for the Red Sox. Oviedo hit the injured list with a flexor strain back in early April and hasn’t really been heard from ever since. It sounds like there’s a chance he could contribute in the playoffs, but that’ll likely come down to how healthy the rest of Boston’s bullpen is.

The procedural move frees up a spot on Boston’s 40-man roster for rookie Jack Anderson. Oviedo hit the shelf with a flexor strain earlier this month and will be sidelined until at least early June, if not longer.

The move will clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Jack Anderson, who will be called up Tuesday. Oviedo has a flexor strain and isn’t expect to start throwing until the middle of May. The move to the 60-day list doesn’t change his timeline at all.

As of now, the Red Sox are hoping that rest will “calm down” the inflammation, but there remains a chance that Oviedo will eventually have to undergo surgery. We should have more clarity by the end of May.

This has been coming for a couple of weeks now. Oviedo’s velocity was way down in his final spring training appearance and remained down during the regular season. He has already had one major elbow surgery, so there is some elevated concern here. He will visit with Dr. Keith Meister on Monday to compare MRI results with the ones taken when Dr. Meister performed Oviedo’s Tommy John surgery in 2023. This is a tough break for a pitcher who recently seemed primed to win a spot in the Red Sox rotation.

Oviedo might have hit his spring dead-arm period at a bad time for Boston, as his velocity tonight was down 2-3 mph from last year. Alternatively, maybe he’s just not comfortable pitching in relief. Regardless, the Red Sox should take advantage of his option years and bring up a fresh arm. He’s going to need a few days off after throwing 72 pitches tonight.

Cotillo mentions that Boston will re-assess after a few weeks, but Early has been named the starter for Sunday’s game against the Reds, and Oviedo will begin the season as a piggyback option behind starting pitchers like Ranger Suarez and Brayan Bello, who have not been built up to the same pitch count as Boston’s other starters. Early was a revelation in a small sample size last year and has the ability to be a true breakout this season, so he is a must add if he’s still available on your fantasy baseball waiver wires. Oviedo has mentioned struggling with the feel of some new pitches that Boston is adding, so keeping him in shorter stints in the bullpen makes some sense. He also has a good slider and a strong fastball with poor command, so a bullpen role might be best for him long-term as well.

It became a foregone conclusion once pitching prospect Payton Tolle was optioned to the minors that Early and Oviedo will have roles with the Red Sox. It’s a bit unclear which one is going to land the final spot in Boston’s rotation and who will be pitching out of the bullpen. Early offers significantly higher fantasy upside based on his impressive late-season cameo last year but he’s also more likely to head back to the minors once Ranger Suárez and Brayan Bello are fully stretched out.

The decision leaves Connelly Early and Johan Oviedo as the fifth and sixth options in Boston’s rotation mix. Tolle did almost everything possible to prove he belongs in the big leagues with a strong Grapefruit League showing that included a 2.53 ERA and 13/1 K/BB ratio across 10 2/3 innings. The 23-year-old top pitching prospect would’ve likely been ticketed for a long relief role at the start of the regular season so he’ll instead remain stretched out as a traditional starter on the doorstep of the majors until a more permanent opportunity arises. He’ll be worth rostering in all fantasy formats based on his strikeout upside once he gets a real chance.

It gets worse. Oviedo’s velocity was down over two mph on every one of his pitches, and his four-seam fastball averaged just 92.9 mph, which is significantly down from the near 96 mph mark he’s shown all spring. He also allowed eight hard-hit baseballs in this one and a 96.1 mph average exit velocity. As of now, there is no indication that the 28-year-old is dealing with any injury, and he mentioned after the game that his execution was “off” as he continues to work on new pitches, including his cutter. Considering Oviedo has minor league options left, this was not a great time for a poor outing and could open the door for Connelly Early to steal the final rotation spot.