PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates will be without one of their promising young starting pitchers at the start of the season due to an injury.
Jared Jones felt discomfort in his elbow after a bullpen session, causing him to miss his last scheduled start in Spring Training. According to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jones avoided a severe injury, with no ligament damage or need for surgery. However, he will refrain from throwing for six weeks, sidelining him until May 6, when he can begin his rehabilitation process.
In Jones’ absence, Pirates manager Derek Shelton tapped Carmen Mlodzinski as the fifth member of the starting rotation, shifting him from his previous role in the bullpen. While Mlodzinski may not pitch fifth in the order, he will take Jones’ spot in the rotation during his recovery.
The Pirates’ starting lineup is expected to feature right-handers Paul Skenes, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year and Opening Day starter, and Mitch Keller, alongside left-handers Bailey Falter and Andrew Heaney. Heaney joined the team this offseason on a one-year, $5.25 million contract with performance bonuses.
In his rookie MLB season, Jones posted a 6-8 record across 22 starts, with a 4.14 ERA over 121.2 innings. He recorded 132 strikeouts against 39 walks and a 1.19 WHIP. His final outing of 2024 came against the Yankees on the road, where he threw 4.1 innings, giving up five hits, two walks, and two earned runs while striking out seven over 85 pitches. The Pirates secured a 4-2 victory, powered by two home runs from Bryan Reynolds.
Jones also faced a setback last season with a right lat strain, which kept him out of action from early July to late August. Despite this, he entered 2025 with high expectations, even earning mentions as a potential sleeper candidate for the National League Cy Young Award.
Selected in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of La Mirada High School in California, Jones opted to sign with Pittsburgh for $2.2 million instead of attending the University of Texas. In 2021, he pitched for the Bradenton Marauders, finishing with a 3-6 record in 18 appearances (15 starts), a 4.64 ERA over 66.0 innings, and 103 strikeouts to 34 walks.
Jones progressed to High-A Greensboro in 2022 before splitting the 2023 season between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. With Altoona, he went 1-4 in 10 starts, posting a 2.23 ERA over 44.1 innings with 47 strikeouts and 16 walks, holding hitters to a .201 average. In Indianapolis, he recorded a 4-5 mark in 16 starts, with a 4.72 ERA across 82.0 innings, 99 strikeouts, 34 walks, and a .240 opposing batting average.
The Pirates kick off their regular season with a four-game series on the road against the Miami Marlins, beginning March 27.
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