On Friday, the Boston Red Sox placed pitcher Johan Oviedo on the 15-day injured list because of a "right elbow strain." They called up pitcher Zack Kelly in his place, alongside prospect Tyler Uberstine, who is taking the place of Garrett Whitlock. Whitlock is on the paternity list following the birth of his second child.

And while an elbow sprain is worrisome enough for a pitcher who already had Tommy John surgery in 2024 and returned in 2025, the follow-up report on Oviedo is even more concerning.

Per Chris Cotillo of MassLive:

Johan Oviedo is likely going to see Dr. Meister to compare MRIs and see if they can explain what’s going on. Obviously, the velocity drop is concerning.

A reduction in velocity has been documented for more than a week. As noted by MassLive, Oviedo's fastball was down 2.5 mph in his last spring training start and continued into his first appearance of the regular season.

He allowed four earned runs in 3.2 innings, striking out just three on Monday vs. the Houston Astros. A visit to Meister is never a comfortable feeling for a player or organization, but the Red Sox have to get to the bottom of this.

A five-year veteran of the St. Louis Cardinals and Pirates, Oviedo was acquired this offseason in a deal with Pittsburgh. Expected to win a job in the starting rotation initially, Oviedo was pushed out of the mix after the team brought in Ranger Suarez on a free agent deal and Connelly Early won a rotation spot through the spring. Suarez, Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello, Garrett Crochet and Early make up the early season rotation. 

He's gone 15-26 lifetime with a 4.29 ERA. He missed all of 2024 with Tommy John surgery and returned to make nine starts in 2025, going 2-1 with a 3.57 ERA. He also battled a lat injury in 2025. He has two years left of team control and the Red Sox will hope this issue doesn't eat too much into that time.

Boston parted with Top 100 prospect Jhostynxon García to bring him in.

--The Red Sox are back at Fenway Park on Friday for the home opener (2:10 p.m. ET). Gray will take the mound against the San Diego Padres. Boston enters play at 1-5 overall and losers of five straight games. We'll have coverage of the contest throughout the day.

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