Is pyruvate actually reduced at the beginning of pyruvate oxidation?

Hi all,

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I understand why pyruvate oxidation is an oxidation of pyruvate overall: you transfer electrons from pyruvate to NAD+. However, in the first step of pyruvate oxidation, you get rid of pyruvate's carboxy group (i.e. remove two oxygens) and then turn the remaining ketone into an alcohol (i.e. add an H). It seems like removing oxygens and adding an H would be reduction in this first step, yet Kaplan says that pyruvate is oxidized here. Is Kaplan...

Is pyruvate actually reduced at the beginning of pyruvate oxidation?