Pirates Share Update on Jared Jones After Scary Exit

Pittsburgh handed the ball to Yohan Ramírez to begin the fourth inning, officially ending Jones’ outing at 45 pitches. Jones struck out three over the first three frames, allowing one run on one hit and two walks before exiting.

Shortly before the game ended, the Pirates announced that initial images of Jones’ right elbow were negative. Jones was told by the team’s medical staff that if the ball had hit any lower on his elbow, the bone would have shattered. He will be reevaluated Monday in Pittsburgh.

Jones, 24, has shown high upside when healthy. The former second-round pick made 22 starts as a rookie in 2024, posting a 4.14 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 132 strikeouts over 121.2 innings. A lat strain suffered in early July sidelined him for six weeks, and after returning in late August, he struggled to a 5.87 ERA over his final six starts.

During spring training last year, Jones was shut down from throwing because of elbow soreness that eventually turned out to be a UCL sprain. Initial evaluations did not result in a recommendation for surgery, but after meeting with Dr. Keith Meister in mid-May, he opted to undergo a season-ending internal brace procedure to repair the ligament.

Just over a year later, Jones returned to the mound in a Pirates uniform. He pitched well in five rehab starts before making his season debut on May 29, logging a 2.89 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 24 strikeouts across 18.2 innings. Since rejoining Pittsburgh, he has posted a 5.75 ERA and 1.52 WHIP over five starts while recording 21 strikeouts in 20.1 innings.

While Jones appears to have avoided the worst, his timetable remains unclear pending further evaluation Monday. If he does have to miss time, right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski would be an obvious candidate to replace him in the rotation. The 27-year-old owns a 3.72 ERA over 67.2 innings this season and made nine starts before being shifted to the bullpen upon Jones’ return.