Should Red Sox Fans Be Worried About New Additions' Early Struggles?
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The Boston Red Sox's new pitching additions have had a hard time early in the 2026 season. Neither Sonny Gray nor Ranger Suarez was able to complete five innings in their first start of 2026, allowing four runs each.
Suarez was piggybacked on Monday by fellow acquisition Johan Oviedo, who was brought in via trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates over the offseason. Oviedo was coming off a season in which he posted a 3.57 ERA over 40 1/3 innings after returning from injury.
Oviedo struggled in relief of Suarez. He pitched the final 3 2/3 innings of the Red Sox's 8-1 loss to the Houston Astros, allowing four runs on six hits and one walk. While the rotation is deep, many analysts tabbed Oviedo for a breakout season, in part due to his fastball.
On Monday, the fastball wasn't as advertised. The pitch averaged 93 mph, two ticks below his 2025 mark. While his extension helps the pitch play up, it isn't the same bat missing weapon at 93 mph that it is at 95 mph. He was in the zone with the pitch more often, which was a concern, but lower velocity requires Oviedo to locate the pitch better, something he didn't do in his Red Sox debut.
At the beginning of Spring Training, Oviedo's velocity was consistent with previous seasons. It averaged 95 mph in each of his first four tuneup appearances. In his final start before the regular season, though, the velocity was down to 93 mph. Injury could explain the downward trend, though there hasn't been any indication that Oviedo is pushing through something to this point.
It's still early in the season, and it isn't time to panic yet, but the fastball velocity is key to success for Oviedo. It's something to monitor over the next few weeks. He still has options remaining and could be optioned to Triple-A Worcester to work on his craft in a lower-stakes environment, if necessary.
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