Bonded by surgeries, Pirates RHP Johan Oviedo, C Endy Rodriguez share special bullpen

BRADENTON, Fla. — Endy Rodriguez wore Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses under his mask while catching Johan Oviedo’s bullpen, giving a backstop view of the imposing Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander.

It was the first bullpen of spring training for Oviedo, who is returning after sitting out last season while recovering from surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

That Rodriguez was behind the plate made it even more special, as he also missed the majority of last season after Tommy John surgery. The two developed a friendship while rehabilitating their elbows, and their camaraderie showed Thursday morning at Pirate City.

“He’s experienced the same feelings I’ve experienced,” said Oviedo, who turns 27 on March 2. “Throwing to him today reminded me of really good times from the season in 2023. Definitely, he also got the same feeling. It was an exciting moment, from training with him and the friendship we have. It is a blessing.”

One minute of Johan Oviedo throwing his bullpen to Endy Rodriguez. pic.twitter.com/bcg2axzPRz

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 13, 2025

It was a promising performance for a pair of players with prominent scars on their right elbows that created a permanent bond between them. What helped is how quickly Oviedo appeared to return to form.

“He looks good, man. He looks like nothing happened before,” Rodriguez said. “His pitches were pretty normal.”

Except for one, a slider that showed good velocity and hit its desired depth and target. That prompted Rodriguez to call it “money,” captured on video through the sunglasses on the team’s social media accounts.

What it looks like to catch for a big league pitcher.

???? Endy Rodríguez pic.twitter.com/LPic6JZzIf

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) February 13, 2025

The Pirates are counting on Oviedo and Rodriguez returning to full health to eventually play prominent roles this season. The 24-year-old Rodriguez caught 52 games in 2023, batting .220/.284/.328 with seven doubles, two triples, three home runs and 13 RBIs while showing off his arm by throwing out 30% of attempted base stealers.

Rodriguez was behind the plate when Oviedo threw a two-hit complete game for his first career shutout at the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 28, 2023, a moment the duo discussed before their bullpen session.

“It’s really cool, man,” Rodriguez said. “We were talking about if we were going to change from a complete game to a perfect game. He was like, ‘All right, let’s do it.’ We can do that. It was fun.”

Pirates RHP Johan Oviedo has his sights set on earning a spot in the starting rotation after missing last season but his focus is on following the steps of his recovery from TJ surgery and focusing on his mental approach. pic.twitter.com/A6DmI9i6oO

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 13, 2025

The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Oviedo tied for the team lead with 32 starts in 2023, going 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 158 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings in his first full season as a starting pitcher in 2023. He came to camp intending to challenge for the final spot in the starting rotation, although Pirates manager Derek Shelton warned that his workload will be managed cautiously and carefully this spring.

“We saw what he did in 2023, just the volume and the quality of the innings that he gave us,” Shelton said. “He’s a guy that’s coming off Tommy John, so we’re going to have to be thoughtful about what his volume is this year, but it’s really nice to see him back on the mound. I’ve seen him (throw) on video, but to see him off the mound live, he looks strong. We know this is a really big body and a guy that has an ability to log innings. This year, we’re going to have to be thoughtful with what those innings are and how they are.”

Oviedo logged more innings in 2023 than in his previous three seasons in the majors, when he had a combined 143 innings over 40 games. Oviedo served as a starter and reliever with the St. Louis Cardinals before being acquired for Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton in August 2022. The Pirates turned him into a full-time starter, and returning to the rotation motivated Oviedo in his rehab and recovery.

“Definitely,” Oviedo said. “I worked harder than I’ve ever worked in my life.”

Oviedo said throwing his bullpen in front of an audience of Pirates coaches and teammates was a “little reminder” to trust in his work in the training room, gym and field during his downtime.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton was happy to see Johan Oviedo throwing a bullpen to Endy Rodriguez on Thursday after both missed last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. pic.twitter.com/F0yUHgGxks

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 13, 2025

Oviedo worked to improve the efficiency of his mechanics, being consistent with his release point and not as quick to the plate. Given that he never stopped working on his lower body, syncing his lower body and upper body in his pitch delivery was a challenge.

“It’s hard. You are competitive players. It’s hard to hold myself down and prevent from going 100%,” Oviedo said. “But it’s something I learned this whole time. This is a long process. I work a lot on my mental part of the game. I learned how to control the feelings. … How to be calm and be patient with everything. It’s a long process, taking more than 14 months off. I try to follow all the steps they put into it and trust in what we do. So I’m really looking forward to the results.”

First, the Pirates want to see how Oviedo’s right arm responds to his first bullpen of spring training. Shelton called it the first step of a step-by-step process that will require patience.

“He needs to face hitters. He’s going to have to get in the game,” Shelton said. “With any rehab guy, we’re going to make sure that we cross every bridge before we get ahead of it.”