Paul Skenes’ star Pirates running mate suffers ominous injury setback

Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates could be without a key arm for the remainder of the 2025 season.

Right-hander Jared Jones, who suffered an elbow strain in March, has been dealt a setback in his recovery and will need to be re-examined, per the Post-Gazette. Other reports indicate that he could undergo Tommy John surgery, which is undoubtedly the worst possible scenario for the promising right-hander. He was initially diagnosed with a sprain in his UCL.

Jones had a respectable rookie campaign in 2024 after making the big league roster out of spring training, going 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA in 22 starts. He showed serious swing and miss stuff, striking out 132 over 121.2 innings of work.

At the time of Jones’ injury, Pirates GM Ben Cherington was confident he’d have the righty back at some point in ’25:

“He’s a killer on the mound and now he will have to be a killer in his recovery,” Cherington said in March. “We feel confident that he’s going to be on the mound, helping us win games this year, and I’m excited for that.”

Jones took six weeks off from throwing a baseball completely and resumed on April 28. The Pirates were hoping to have him back in the mix after the All-Star break.

UCL injuries are obviously tricky and concerning. Tommy John is never ideal, but elbow issues typically result in the operation. TJ would mean Jones misses a lot of the 2026 season as well.

The Pirates’ rotation has been led by Skenes so far, who is dominating with a 2.44 ERA. Mitch Keller, Andrew Heaney, and Bailey Falter have all held their own as well, but Pittsburgh is still one of the worst teams in the Majors with a 15-32 record.

Jones profiles to be a fixture at the top of the Pirates’ staff alongside Skenes, but it’s unclear when he could be back on the hill.