The Pittsburgh Pirates will activate starting pitcher Johan Oviedo for Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays at PNC Park. Sharp-eyed Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was first to notice and report that Oviedo had a locker in the Pirates clubhouse. The corresponding move will be announced once Oviedo is added to the active roster.
Beazley also reports that pitcher Ryan Borucki has been released, and pitchers Justin Lawrence and Tim Mayza (remember them?) will begin rehab assignments at Single-A Bradenton.
RHP Johan Oviedo has a locker in the Pirates clubhouse at PNC Park.
— Colin Beazley (@colin_beazley) August 19, 2025
Pirates LHP Ryan Borucki has cleared waivers and been released.
In injury news, LHP Tim Mayza and RHP Justin Lawrence will begin rehab assignments at Low-A Bradenton tonight.
— Colin Beazley (@colin_beazley) August 19, 2025
Johan Oviedo to Rejoin Pirates Again
The Pirates obtained Oviedo from the St. Louis Cardinals in a 2022 trade deadline deal that saw pitchers Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton head to St. Louis. Oviedo then joined the Pirates that September and stayed there through 2023. Across those two seasons, he was 11-16 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.358 WHIP. His best start as a Pirate was his complete game, two-hit shutout in Kansas City on August 28, 2023. Unfortunately, Tommy John surgery the following December caused him to miss all of 2024. He strained a lat muscle during spring training last March and was placed on the 60-day injured list.
Wait a minute – didn’t I just write all this stuff recently? In fact, I did two weeks ago, when Oviedo completed his rehab assignment and joined the Pirates to make his first major league start since 2023 at home against the San Francisco Giants. That night, he lasted just one inning, surrendering two earned runs on two hits and three walks, throwing 43 pitches. He was sent back to Triple-A Indianapolis without any public explanation.
The Pirates must have liked the reports they got on Oviedo’s two starts since his return to Indy. In those starts combined, he pitched 8 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits, two of which were home runs, and three walks while striking out 15.
Controversy
Meanwhile, Oviedo walks into a hornet’s nest because the Pirates have demoted veteran Andrew Heaney to a bullpen role. It’s Heaney whom Oviedo will be replacing in the rotation. This sparked a ludicrous controversy in the local media when they discovered that Heaney had bonuses based on innings pitched. They see his demotion as part of a diabolical plot to keep him from earning his bonuses. To them, it has nothing to do with the fact that in his last 10 starts, Heaney has lasted 40 2/3 innings and has an 8.19 ERA, largely caused by coughing up 13 home runs. This is clearly a performance issue. But it won’t stop the media from stirring the pot.
Main Photo Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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