Pirates' Jared Jones Could Take Another Step in Recovery

Sep 2, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones (37) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Pirates' Jared Jones Could Take Another Step in Recovery

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated May 1, 2026 3:57 PM ET

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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates can't wait to get Jared Jones back fully healthy and he's ready for the next step in his comeback from injury.

Jones is in the Pirates clubhouse at PNC Park and manager Don Kelly said he will throw a side/bullpen on May 2, before then going out to Triple-A Indianapolis for his next rehab assignment start on May 5 against Omaha at Victory Field.

This will serve as the second rehab assignment start for Jones, who threw three perfect innings and posted five strikeouts for Single-A Bradenton in their 6-1 win over Lakeland on April 29.

Kelly also said that Jones will also likely make starts between Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona, giving him more chances to pitch and in different environments as well.

Jared Jones Looks Ready for New Opportunity

Jones couldn't have had a better outing in his first rehab assignment start, as he showed exactly why the Pirates want him back in their starting rotation as soon as possible.

He displayed his four-seam fastball throughout his start, averaging 99.1 mph and reaching as high as 101 mph, with a 38.5% whiff rate and posting three strikeouts on it.

Jones also threw his cutter, slider and changeup effectively in his start and finished with 30 strikes on 41 pitches (73.2%).

The Pirates giving Jones starts at Triple-A and Double-A will allow him to face better competition moving forward and prepare him for his major league return.

Jones is still on the 60-day injured list and can't come off of it until May 26, as it started on Opening Day, March 26.

The 24-year old should get a few more starts over the next three-to-four weeks before officially making his return to the Pirates.

Jones' Injury Timeline

It's been quite some time since Jones pitched for the Pirates, which was Sept. 27, 2024, his last start of his rookie season.

Jones went 579 days between professional starts for the Pirates, as his he had his Spring Training cut short due to elbow pain. He tried to work back from it and get healthy again, but suffered a setback and ended up having an ulnar collateral ligament sprain.

He elected for internal brace surgery, which Dr. Keith Meister completed on May 21, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. The surgery, while not as serious as Tommy John surgery, still requires a 10-12 month return timeline and repairing ligaments to the bone.

Jones would work down in Bradenton and eventually threw off a flat mound back on Dec. 9, also known as a "flat," and then threw his first bullpen session back on Jan. 11.

He continued his rehab during Spring Training and threw a live bullpen for pitching coach Bill Murphy at PNC Park on April 14, then entered the sim-game phase portion, where he faced Pirates batters, but in different jerseys to make it a more competitive outing.

Jones is on track for a full recovery at the end of May and if he's healthy, he should have a good season with the Pirates in 2026.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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