Pirates' Jones Returns with Blazing Fastball

0:00On April 30, Pirates pitcher Jones just crushed his first rehab start down in single A. Bradenton, tossing three perfect innings in a 5-1 win over the Lakeland Tigers on April 29. It was his initial pro outings in September 27, 2024 against the Yankees. He fired 41 pitches, 30 for strikes, and his four-seam fastball averaged 99.1 miles per hour, topping out at 100. 1. Jones mixed in sliders, curve balls, sinkers, and a change-up, racking up five strikeouts and eight whiffs overall. Coming off that ulnar collateral ligament sprain from spring training last year, he had internal brace surgery on May 21, 2025, a solid 12-month grindback. He built up from flat ground throws on December 9, bullpins in January, and live sessions by mid-April. Now he's climbing the ladder through high A, AA, and triple A, but he can't rejoin the Pirates until May 26, when his 60-day.

1:01Injured list then ends, started March 26, opening day. The Pirate staff is eyeing that late May activation, and with his velocity pop, Jones looks prime to heat up their rotation soon. This has been MLB News Today, powered by AI.