Juan Carlos Oviedo, former Miami Marlins closer and the player previously known as Leo Nunez, is still resolving visa issues in the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately for Oviedo, this won’t be the final hurdle he faces before he is able to rejoin the Marlins. A source has told Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that Major League Baseball intends to suspend Oviedo for six weeks once he is removed from their restricted list.
According to the source, several people have already been informed of the decision.
At this point, Oviedo is on the Marlins restricted list, meaning that he is not being paid and is also not taking up a spot on their roster. He has been on the restricted list since it was announced that he was not Leo Nunez. The former finisher has since returned to the D.R. where he’s worked with authorities to sort out his visa issues.
Once he has everything worked out regarding his visa, Oviedo will technically be eligible to come off of the restricted list. This is when the source is indicating Oviedo will begin facing his six-week suspension.
While Jackson did say that’s it’s “probably inevitable” that Oviedo secures his visa, it’s still to be determined exactly when this will happen. Last time he applied for a visa he was told by Dominican authorities that he first had to complete community service. After Oviedo finishes his mandated service requirements, he will once again go before a panel and request his visa.
Miami signed one of MLB’s best closers, Heath Bell, this offseason. Oviedo was expected to slide into a setup role this season, but in the meantime Edward Mujica is likely to handle eighth inning duties.
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