Pirates Receive Encouraging Jared Jones Injury Update

Tomczyk also said that Jones is still on track for the 10-12 months recovery timeline before he starts pitching in real performances again, but that the plan will build him up gradually before that and have him ready to go by the middle of 2026.

“Build up in distance," Tomczyk said on Jones' recovery plan. So you start flat ground at 60 feet and go to 120 to 135 feet. Get off the mound, get off the slope, there’s attrition there, there’s a build up, there’s a gradual build up in strength. Once we get him strong enough, comfortable enough off the mound, he’ll transition to full mound live sessions and live BPs and sim games, but as we talked before, early indications he’s on track for the original projection of return to game-like activities in 10-to-12 months.

“We’ll have some serial check-ins with Dr. Meister and our doctors to make sure that everything’s going on track.”

Jones pitched for the Pirates during Spring Training, 12 innings over four starts, but experienced elbow discomfort during a bullpen session in late March, which forced him to miss his final Spring Training start.

The Pirates found out the UCL sprain and didn't have Jones throw for up to six weeks. Jones would eventually start throwing back on April 30, but dealt with a setback and chose surgery.

The internal brace surgery isn't as invasive Tommy John surgery, which would've kept Jones out the rest of 2025, but still requires working on the repairing the ligaments back to the bone, allowing it to heal, then augmenting it, making it stronger.

Jones ended his 2024 season, his first full campaign in the MLB, with a 6-8 record, 22 starts, 4.14 ERA in 121.2 innings pitched, 39 walks to 132 strikeouts, a 1.19 WHIP and an opposing batting average of .232.

He dealt with a right lat strain, that kept him out from early July to late August from pitching for the Pirates.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington spoke back on Aug. 17 on his radio show that he envisions Jones as a part of the starting rotation in 2026 and going forward.

Pittsburgh has a current starting rotation of right-handers in All-Star Paul Skenes and veteran Mitch Keller, as well as Johan Oviedo, plus rookies in Braxton Ashcraft, Mike Burrows and Bubba Chandler, who have also worked out of the bullpen.

Jones could rejoin this rotation next season and with his injury recovery off to a good start, it's looking like he'll be back on the mound at PNC Park soon enough.