Jared Jones Returns to Pirates Rotation

0:00On May 1st, Pittsburgh Pirates fans got good news on pitcher Jared Jones, the 24-year-old fireballer, working his way back from elbow surgery. He's in the clubhouse at PNC Park, and manager Don Kelly laid out the plan, a side bullpen session on May 2nd, then his next rehab start May 5th, with triple-A Indianapolis against Omaha. Earlier this week, Jones crushed his first rehab outing for single A Bradenton, tossing three perfect innings with five strikeouts in the 6-1 win. He averaged 99.1 miles per hour on his four-seam fastball, touching 101 and mixed in his cutter, slider, and change up. For 30 strikes out of 41 pitches, the Pirates see him as a key rotation piece after his rookie year, but he's been sidelined since September 27th, 2024. Due to an Omar Collateral litigment sprain, he opted for internal brace surgery last May, which set him back 10-12 months, and he's been building up through flat groundwork, bullpins,

1:00and sim games. Now, expect Jones to make a few more starts bouncing between triple-A and double-A, Al Tuna to face tougher hitters and ramp up. He's on the 60-day injured list until May 26th, giving him three to four weeks of tune-ups. If he stays healthy, Jones slots right back into the big leagues by late May, primed for a strong 20-26 season without electric stuff. You've been listening to MLB News today, AI-powered baseball coverage.