Jones didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 6-5 win over the Twins, coughing up five runs on seven hits and two walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out six.
Making his first big-league start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of last year, Jones tossed 53 of 77 pitches for strikes but got hit hard when he was in the strike zone, serving up long balls to Kody Clemens in the first inning and Trevor Larnach in the third. The right-hander was headed for the loss until Bryan Reynolds walked it off with a homer of his own in the bottom of the ninth. Jones has plenty of upside, but he'll be a risky fantasy option while he shakes off the rust and works to regain his pre-injury form. He lines up to make his next start on the road next week in Houston.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Activated ahead of season debut
Rotowire
The Pirates activated Jones (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Friday.
Jones is set to make his season debut for the Pirates on Friday just over one year after undergoing UCL surgery on his right elbow. The 24-year-old pitched well in five rehab starts, logging a 2.89 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 24:6 K:BB across 18.2 innings. Jones threw 76 pitches in his last outing, so he should be capable of a workload of 85-90 pitches versus Minnesota.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Set for season debut Friday
Rotowire
Pirates manager Don Kelly said Thursday that Jones (elbow) will return from the 60-day injured list and start Friday's game against the Twins at PNC Park, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
Jones will be making his first appearance at the big-league level since he underwent UCL surgery last May. The right-hander looked sharp in five rehab starts, logging a 2.89 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 24:6 K:BB across 18.2 innings. He went 4.1 frames and threw 76 pitches in his most recent outing with Triple-A Indianapolis last weekend, so while Jones should be able to reach five innings Friday if he pitches efficiently, he shouldn't be expected to work much longer than that. Expect the Pirates to manage Jones' workload after he missed all of the 2025 campaign.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Closing in on season debut
Rotowire
General manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Jones (elbow) will return to Pittsburgh and throw a bullpen session Tuesday before the Pirates determine whether he'll return from the 60-day injured list during the upcoming week, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
After making his previous two rehab starts at Double-A Altoona, Jones shifted his minor-league assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, when he tossed 76 pitches (47 strikes) while allowing three runs on two hits and three walks with six strikeouts across 4.1 innings. Jones missed all of last season due to a UCL injury in his right elbow that required surgery in May, but he's looked strong across his five rehab starts, logging a 2.89 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 24:6 K:BB across 18.2 innings. If Jones checks out fine following Tuesday's side session, he could be activated from the IL as soon as Thursday.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Turns in strong start with Altoona
Rotowire
Jones (elbow) threw four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and no walks while striking out four in a rehab appearance with Double-A Altoona on Tuesday, per MLB.com.
This marked Jones' third rehab start and was his longest outing. However, his pitch count remained stable, as he threw 52 total pitches, 36 of which went for strikes. Jones will likely make a few more rehab appearances; so far, he's allowed only one earned run across 10 innings while maintaining an 11:1 K:BB.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Makes second rehab outing
Rotowire
Jones (elbow) allowed one earned run on five hits and one walk while striking out two across three innings in a rehab outing with Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.
Jones threw 35 of his 54 pitches for strikes while sitting at 98.8 miles per hour with his fastball. The right-hander, who is working his way back from UCL surgery, is set to make at least a few more starts in the minors before being activated from the 60-day injured list, but the final steps of his recovery look to be on track.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Big velocity in first rehab start
Rotowire
Jones (elbow) struck out five over three perfect innings in his first rehab start with Single-A Bradenton on Wednesday.
Jones overwhelmed the A-ball hitters, regularly reaching 100 mph and hitting 101.1 mph on his final pitch of the first inning, per Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The right-hander required only 41 pitches as he cruised through his three frames. It's a very encouraging first rehab outing for Jones, who is coming back from internal brace surgery that he had last May. Jones is on the 60-day injured list and thus not eligible for activation until late May, so he will continue to deliberately build up stamina before rejoining the Pirates' rotation in a few weeks.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Beginning rehab assignment
Rotowire
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said that Jones (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment Wednesday with Single-A Bradenton, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
The 24-year-old has been throwing to live batters for a while and has now been cleared to pitch in games for the first time since undergoing an internal brace procedure to repair the UCL in his right elbow last May. Jones' rehab assignment will be a lengthy one, and since he won't be eligible to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list until late May, the Pirates aren't in a major rush to build up his pitch count.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Uses full arsenal in live BP
Rotowire
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said that Jones (elbow) made use of all of his pitches during his most recent live batting practice session April 6, MLB.com reports.
Jones has been conducting his rehab from UCL surgery at the Pirates' facility in Florida, but he has returned to Pittsburgh this week and is scheduled to throw a side session in front of the coaching and medical staffs Tuesday, per Chris Halicke of DKPittsburghSports.com. The Pirates haven't revealed a timeline for when Jones might be cleared for a minor-league rehab assignment, but he could be ready to take that step soon since he's been able to face hitters in live BP for nearly two months. Jones won't be eligible for activation from the 60-day injured list until late May and will likely need close to the entire 30-day window to build up his pitch count during his rehab assignment.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Should be game-ready by late May
Rotowire
Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Monday that Jones (elbow) should be ready for game action when he's eligible to return from the 60-day injured list in late May, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
It's not clear whether that means he will be ready to pitch for the Pirates at that point or ready to pitch on a rehab assignment. Jones underwent an internal brace procedure on his right elbow last May and is "coming out really good" following a live batting practice session Friday, per Tomczyk. The 24-year-old made 22 starts for the Pirates in 2024, posting a 4.14 ERA and 132:39 K:BB across 121.2 frames.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Set for live batting practice
Rotowire
Jones (elbow) will throw a live batting practice session Friday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
It'll be the first time Jones has faced hitters since he underwent a UCL reconstruction on his right elbow last May. The young right-hander has already been placed on the 60-day injured list, so he will not be eligible for his season debut until late May. A return by that time would be a best-case scenario, but Jones' rehab has gone well to this point.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Could start throwing in September
Rotowire
Jones (elbow) will meet with his surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister, in early September and could be cleared to begin a throwing program if all goes well during his checkup, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Nearly four months removed from surgery to repair a UCL tear in his right elbow, Jones thus far hasn't hit any snags in the early stages of his recovery and could soon take his first major step forward by beginning to play catch. At the time Jones' surgery was performed May 21, the Pirates estimated that he would be ready to pitch in games approximately 10-to-12 months later, so the right-hander would appear to have an outside chance of being ready for Opening Day in 2026. Jones' outlook for next season likely won't become clearer until spring training, when the Pirates should have an update regarding where he stands in his throwing program.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Likely set for Tommy John surgery
Rotowire
Jones (elbow) may have to undergo Tommy John surgery, John Perrotto of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.
Jones has missed the entirety of the 2025 season to this point while nursing a UCL sprain in his right elbow, and it now appears that he'll require surgery. With the Pirates well out of contention, the move comes as no surprise since there's no reason to take any chances with his health. It's a disappointing turn of events for fantasy managers though, as the right-hander was coming off of a 2024 rookie campaign in which he compiled a 4.14 ERA and 9.8 K/9 over 121.2 innings in 22 starts with Pittsburgh. Jones will now likely be sidelined for not only the remainder of 2025, but likely most, if not all, of the 2026 campaign.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Shifting to 60-day IL
Rotowire
The Pirates transferred Jones (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.
This move won't affect Jones' timetable for a return, as he recently began a six-week no-throw program and is unlikely to be ready to make his season debut until at least June while he recovers from a UCL sprain in his right elbow. The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for outfielder Alexander Canario, who was acquired from the Mets on Monday in exchange for cash considerations.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Officially placed on injured list
Rotowire
The Pirates placed Jones (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Jones has damage to the UCL in his right elbow but will attempt to treat the injury with rest and rehab rather than surgery. He will be shut down from throwing for six weeks before ramping back up. The righty will be a candidate to be shifted to the 60-day injured list when/if the Pirates need a roster spot, as it's unlikely he'll be back before June.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Seeks second opinion on sore elbow
Rotowire
Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Jones has already had imaging on his sore right elbow and is waiting on a second opinion, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
A second opinion on an injury typically isn't sought out if the first opinion is favorable, so the news is less than ideal. However, Tomczyk added that "I don't want to be an alarmist" and was quick to point out that the team is still in the information-gathering stage. Jones will not pitch again during spring training and a stint on the injured list is highly likely, but the bigger concern here is if the right-hander needs surgery. More on Jones' status should be known in the coming days.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Working on two-seamer
Rotowire
Jones has worked on a two-seam fastball this offseason and will test the pitch in spring training games, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Jones flashed his potential as a rookie last year with a 4.14 ERA in 22 starts, but his 1.3 HR/9 was a blemish in his skills profile. Like teammate Paul Skenes, Jones is working on a pitch with sinking action in an attempt to keep the ball in the yard more effectively. That could also hurt his potential strikeout upside, though he didn't commit to using that pitch in the regular season.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Optioned to rookie ball
Rotowire
The Pirates optioned Jones to the Florida Complex League on Saturday.
Jones' season was already over after he made his final start of the season Friday, so the Pirates will simply send him to their complex in Florida to finish the season, opening up a roster spot for Mike Burrows in the process. The 23-year-old Jones will finish his rookie campaign with a 4.14 ERA and 1.19 WHIP alongside a 132:39 K:BB across 22 starts.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Fans seven in no-decision
Rotowire
Jones allowed two runs on five hits and two walks over 4.1 innings in a no-decision Friday. He struck out seven during a win over the Yankees.
Jones worked around a couple of jams through four shutout frames but was charged with two runs after leaving the game with the bases loaded in the fifth inning. It was his third straight start with five or fewer innings pitched after beginning the month with a pair of quality starts. Jones made just six starts after the All-Star break due to a lat strain. He posted a 5.87 ERA during that stretch. Jones' rookie year was mostly considered a success otherwise, as he finished with a 4.14 ERA and a 132:39 K:BB through 121.2 innings.
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Pirates' Jared Jones: Fires seven dominant innings
Rotowire
Jones (6-7) earned the win Sunday, allowing two runs on four hits over seven innings against the Nationals. He struck out nine.
Jones matched a career high by tossing seven innings, while the nine whiffs were the most he's accumulated in a start since the beginning of May. After allowing single runs in each of the first two innings, Jones retired the final 16 batters he faced, including striking out five of the final six. It was Jones' 11th quality start in 19 appearances this season and second consecutive quality start after struggling in his initial outing following a two-month absence due to a lat injury. With the Pirates out of playoff contention, Jones is a candidate to be limited over the final few weeks of the season. However, as long as he's taking the hill, he belongs in fantasy lineups. He's tentatively lined up to make his next start in a home matchup against the Royals.
