Pittsburgh Pirates Rumors: Starter "May Require" Tommy John Surgery

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher JT Brubaker has been placed on the 60-day injured list due to discomfort in his right elbow and forearm.

While the team has not provided an official diagnosis, sources suggest that Brubaker may require season-ending Tommy John surgery, and the Pirates have confirmed that it is being considered as an option.

We have claimed RHP Edwin Uceta off waivers from the Tigers, and have optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis

To make room on the 40-man roster, we have transferred RHP JT Brubaker to the 60-day Injured List.

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 2, 2023

Even if he decides to pursue rest and rehabilitation, Brubaker will likely be out of action for an extended period of time. In the meantime, the Pirates have replaced him in the starting rotation with Johan Oviedo, who is expected to have a long leash in his new role.

If Brubaker does return to the mound, it's possible that he could become a reliever, as his sinker-slider combination could be effective in that role.

Derek Shelton on transferring JT Brubaker to the 60-day IL: "We knew it was going to be a longer length of time, but we're still kind of finding out information on it. We should probably have more information on it next week."

— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) April 2, 2023

Regardless of the chosen course of action, Brubaker will likely miss a significant amount of the 2023 season or even more.

Oviedo will take over Brubaker's starting rotation spot, starting with his first game on Monday against the Boston Red Sox. Oviedo had a strong finish to the spring season, and the Pirates are counting on him to help fill the void left by Brubaker's absence.

Over his three-year career, the 29-year-old has compiled a 4.99 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, with 324 strikeouts across 315.2 innings and 63 appearances (61 starts). Photo Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports