Ober worked with a specialist much of the offseason after dealing with a nagging hip issue in 2025 and has noticed a "big difference," Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Ober posted a 5.10 ERA over 27 starts last season and saw his average four-seamer velocity tumble from 91.7 mph to 90.3 mph year-over-year. The 30-year-old also lost the command he had been known for, but he is now fully healthy and seems optimistic about a bounce-back season in 2026. Prior to 2025, Ober had a career 3.76 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 25.6 percent strikeout rate and 5.4 percent walk rate.