Johan Oviedo
Breakdown
Performance
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March 24, 2026
Opening season in bullpen
Oviedo will open the season in Boston's bullpen, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Analysis
The Red Sox are going with Connelly Early as their fifth starter, with Oviedo occupying a piggyback/long relief role. Early is expected to receive at least a couple turns in the rotation before the club reassesses its options. Oviedo came into spring training as the favorite to round out Boston's rotation, but his Grapefruit League showing ended on a sour note Monday versus the Twins when he showed diminished velocity and yielded six runs over 3.1 frames.
March 24, 2026
Expected to make Opening Day roster
Oviedo is expected to open the 2026 season in the major leagues, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Analysis
Oviedo and Connelly Early competed for the fifth rotation spot during camp, but it now looks as though Boston will name both pitchers to the Opening Day roster. Cotillo notes this may be due to the fact that Ranger Suarez and Brayan Bello aren't as stretched out as much as the club would like, so Oviedo and Early could be relied on to eat up innings in the early stages of the season. This is a creative approach by the Red Sox, so it's not yet clear whether it'll be Oviedo or Early who gets the first crack at starting, or if the duo could each draw opportunities to prove they belong in the rotation.