Pirates Evaluating Injured Starting Pitcher
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have an important piece of their starting rotation out for the next few weeks after a recent injury.
Jones experienced elbow discomfort following a bullpen session and missed his final Spring Training start.
Pirates' director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said back on March 27 that Jones suffered a Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) sprain in his right elbow, but that he didn't need surgery, according to Greg Macafee of DK Pittsburgh Sports.
Tomcyzk, after getting a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister, said that they confirmed the diagnosis, that there isn't damange to the ligament and that Jones shouldn't pick up a baseball for the next six weeks. This would keep him out until the first full week of May.
He gave an update on Jones on April 2, saying that they will evaluate Jones on April 4 in Pittsburgh and that if he looks good, he'll start a two-handed plyo ball program, according to Macafee.
Right-handed pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski is the fifth starter in the rotation, moving up from the bullpen. Rookie right-handed pitcher Thomas Harrington is also in the bullpen as a long reliever.
Jones finished his first full season at the MLB level with a 6-8 record, 22 starts, 4.14 ERA in 121.2 innings pitched, 39 walks to 132 strikeouts and a 1.19 WHIP.
His final game of the season came in the first game vs. the Yankees on the road, where he pitched 4.1 innings, allowing five hits, two walks, two earned runs and making seven strikeouts on 85 pitches. The Pirates would win 4-2 against the Yankees, thanks to two home runs from Bryan Reynolds.
Jones dealt with a right lat strain, that kept him out from early July to late August from pitching for the Pirates.
He has had high expectations on what he could achieve in 2025, even receiving consideration as a dark horse for the National League Cy Young Award.
The Pirates took Jones in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of La Mirada High School in La Mirada, Calif., near Los Angeles. Jones would choose to sign for $2.2 million over playing for Texas, who he committed to.
Jones spent the 2021 season with the Bradenton Marauders with a 3-6 record in 18 appearances and 15 starts, a 4.64 ERA in 66.0 innings pitched, with 103 strikeouts to 34 walks.
He would pitch with the Greensboro Grasshoppers at High-A in 2022 and then split time between the Altoona Curve in Double-A and the Indianapolis Indians at Triple-A in 2023.
Jones went 1-4 in 10 starts with Altoona, with a 2.23 ERA in 44.1 innings pitched, 47 strikeouts to 16 walks and an opposing batting average of .201. He had a 4-5 record in 16 starts in Indianapolis, 4.72 ERA in 82.0 innings pitched, 99 strikeouts to 34 walks and a .240 opposing batting average.
