Pirates' Jared Jones Celebrates Major Life Milestone

The couple got engaged near the end of 2023 over the Christmas holiday and started dating back in high school, prior to the Pirates taking him in the 2020 MLB Draft.

Jones wasn't the only Pirates player in attendance, as both right-handed pitchers in National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and Kyle Nicolas served as best men in his wedding.

Pirates Lose Jared Jones for 2025 Season

Pirates fans eagerly awaited the second season with Jones in the rotation in 2025, but they never saw him pitch in the black and yellow.

Jones originally felt pain in his arm in Spring Training and then started throwing again after six weeks off, before suffering a setback, which revealed a ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) sprain.

He underwent internal brace surgery, ending his season in May and putting him on a long road of recovery.

The internal brace surgery that Jones underwent isn't as invasive Tommy John surgery, which would've kept Jones out the rest of 2026 as well, but still requires working on the repairing the ligaments back to the bone, allowing it to heal, then augmenting it, making it stronger.

Jones received clearance from Dr. Keith Meister, who completed his surgery on May 21, to start throwing again in September, which was the first time he had done so since.

He is on schedule for a return after 10-12 months of recovery, which puts him on track for March-May 26.

Jones Surprises With Solid 2024 Campaign

Jones had an excellent Spring Training with the Pirates in 2024, which saw him make the Opening Day roster.

He ended his first full season in Pittsburgh 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.

Jones posted a sub-3.00 ERA in his first nine starts and had a 3.56 ERA through early July, but a right lat strain kept him out for almost two months before returning to the Pirates in late August.

He struggled afterwards, with a 5.87 ERA in his final six starts and 30.2 innings pitched, allowing at least two earned runs in each start.

Pirates Boast Competitive, Young Starting Rotation

Jones will come back to a Pirates starting rotation that has some of the best young talent in baseball.

Rookies in Braxton Ashcraft, Hunter Barco, Mike Burrows and Bubba Chandler made their debuts last season and will fight for a spot in the rotation. Johan Oviedo also returned from Tommy John surgery, that kept him out of the 2024 season, and a lat injury, that sidelined him until August of this season.

Jones may start out of the bullpen when he returns, which all four rookies did, but regardless, he'll have a great supporting cast, with Skenes and potentially, veteran starting pitcher Mitch Keller.