The Pirates transferred Jones (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.
This move won't affect Jones' timetable for a return, as he recently began a six-week no-throw program and is unlikely to be ready to make his season debut until at least June while he recovers from a UCL sprain in his right elbow. The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for outfielder Alexander Canario, who was acquired from the Mets on Monday in exchange for cash considerations.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Officially placed on injured list
Rotowire
The Pirates placed Jones (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Jones has damage to the UCL in his right elbow but will attempt to treat the injury with rest and rehab rather than surgery. He will be shut down from throwing for six weeks before ramping back up. The righty will be a candidate to be shifted to the 60-day injured list when/if the Pirates need a roster spot, as it's unlikely he'll be back before June.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Formal diagnosis announced
Rotowire
Jones was diagnosed with a UCL sprain to the right elbow Wednesday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The Pirates initially announced the injury as soreness, but Todd Tomcyzk, the team's director of sports medicine, delivered the full diagnosis Wednesday. He further elaborated that the ligament is stable, which has allowed Jones to avoid surgery for the time being. The announcement doesn't appear to change Jones' timeline to return as he'll still be shut down from throwing for six weeks, though there's a chance he will begin a two-handed plyo program in roughly three weeks.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Seeks second opinion on sore elbow
Rotowire
Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Jones has already had imaging on his sore right elbow and is waiting on a second opinion, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
A second opinion on an injury typically isn't sought out if the first opinion is favorable, so the news is less than ideal. However, Tomczyk added that "I don't want to be an alarmist" and was quick to point out that the team is still in the information-gathering stage. Jones will not pitch again during spring training and a stint on the injured list is highly likely, but the bigger concern here is if the right-hander needs surgery. More on Jones' status should be known in the coming days.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Debuts new sinker
Rotowire
Jones threw five sinkers during his first spring training start Tuesday, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.
Jones threw 27 total pitches across two scoreless innings while striking out three. During the impressive outing, Jones debuted a new two-seamer with sinking action. He has yet to commit to using the pitch during the regular season, though continuing to develop the offering appears to be a priority this spring.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Working on two-seamer
Rotowire
Jones has worked on a two-seam fastball this offseason and will test the pitch in spring training games, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Jones flashed his potential as a rookie last year with a 4.14 ERA in 22 starts, but his 1.3 HR/9 was a blemish in his skills profile. Like teammate Paul Skenes, Jones is working on a pitch with sinking action in an attempt to keep the ball in the yard more effectively. That could also hurt his potential strikeout upside, though he didn't commit to using that pitch in the regular season.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Optioned to rookie ball
Rotowire
The Pirates optioned Jones to the Florida Complex League on Saturday.
Jones' season was already over after he made his final start of the season Friday, so the Pirates will simply send him to their complex in Florida to finish the season, opening up a roster spot for Mike Burrows in the process. The 23-year-old Jones will finish his rookie campaign with a 4.14 ERA and 1.19 WHIP alongside a 132:39 K:BB across 22 starts.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Fans seven in no-decision
Rotowire
Jones allowed two runs on five hits and two walks over 4.1 innings in a no-decision Friday. He struck out seven during a win over the Yankees.
Jones worked around a couple of jams through four shutout frames but was charged with two runs after leaving the game with the bases loaded in the fifth inning. It was his third straight start with five or fewer innings pitched after beginning the month with a pair of quality starts. Jones made just six starts after the All-Star break due to a lat strain. He posted a 5.87 ERA during that stretch. Jones' rookie year was mostly considered a success otherwise, as he finished with a 4.14 ERA and a 132:39 K:BB through 121.2 innings.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Fires seven dominant innings
Rotowire
Jones (6-7) earned the win Sunday, allowing two runs on four hits over seven innings against the Nationals. He struck out nine.
Jones matched a career high by tossing seven innings, while the nine whiffs were the most he's accumulated in a start since the beginning of May. After allowing single runs in each of the first two innings, Jones retired the final 16 batters he faced, including striking out five of the final six. It was Jones' 11th quality start in 19 appearances this season and second consecutive quality start after struggling in his initial outing following a two-month absence due to a lat injury. With the Pirates out of playoff contention, Jones is a candidate to be limited over the final few weeks of the season. However, as long as he's taking the hill, he belongs in fantasy lineups. He's tentatively lined up to make his next start in a home matchup against the Royals.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Activated ahead of Tuesday's start
Rotowire
The Pirates activated Jones (lat) from the 15-day injured list Tuesday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Jones will rejoin the Pittsburgh rotation Tuesday versus the Cubs after missing nearly two months of action with a Grade 2 right lat strain. The rookie right-hander made three rehab starts at Triple-A Indianapolis and was excellent in his final one, permitting just one hit and one walk over five shutout frames while fanning 10 batters. Jones threw 73 pitches in that outing, so he probably won't be ready for a full workload Tuesday.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Set to return Tuesday
Rotowire
Jones (lat) will be activated from the 15-day injured list and start Tuesday against the Cubs.
Jones has been sidelined since early July with a Grade 2 right lat strain but is ready to rejoin the Pirates after making three rehab starts with Triple-A Indianapolis. The rookie right-hander's last rehab outing was dominant, as he struck out 10 while yielding just one hit and one walk over five shutout frames. Jones threw 73 pitches in the start, so he could be limited a bit from a workload perspective versus the Cubs.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Fans three in first rehab start
Rotowire
Jones (lat) covered 2.2 innings and struck out three while giving up two earned runs on one hit and one walk in his rehab start Thursday with Triple-A Indianapolis.
Pitching in a game for the first time since landing on the 15-day injured list July 4 with a Grade 2 lat strain, Jones tossed 47 pitches (30 strikes) and induced six swings and misses. After walking the leadoff batter in the bottom of the first inning, Jones then served up a two-run home run, but he retired the final eight hitters he faced before exiting. The 23-year-old righty will likely need one or two more rehab starts before making his return from the 15-day injured list.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Another bullpen session
Rotowire
Jones (lat) threw a 38-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
This marked Jones' second bullpen session since landing on the injured list, and he threw all pitches in his arsenal. He'll throw a live bullpen session during the team's upcoming homestand and could head out for a rehab assignment shortly thereafter.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Exits with strained lat
Rotowire
Jones was removed from his start Wednesday versus St. Louis due to a right lat strain, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Jones managed to get through five innings of one-run ball while striking out five batters and walking two before coming out of Wednesday's contest. The 22-year-old said after the game that he could have kept pitching if necessary, but the team opted for a cautious approach in order to prevent his injury from worsening. Pittsburgh will keep an eye on Jones' lat as his next start approaches, but the initial level of concern seems relatively low.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Allows season-high six runs
Rotowire
Jones (4-6) took the loss against the Rockies on Saturday, allowing six runs on six hits and four walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out six.
Jones struck out three of the first four batters he faced on the night before allowing two batters to reach in the second, though he managed to escape the inning unscathed thanks to a double-play ball. However, that luck did not continue as the right-hander went on to surrender at least one run in each of the next three frames while issuing a season-high four walks in the contest. Jones has now surrendered five or more runs in two of his last four starts and has issued multiple free passes in five straight. It also marked the second time in his last four outings that he was unable to make it through five innings.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: So-so in no-decision
Rotowire
Jones did not factor into the decision Sunday against Minnesota, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out three.
Jones struggled to find his footing early, allowing all three of his runs in a shaky first inning during which he walked two batters and allowed the bases to be loaded with just one out. The 22-year-old rookie was able to settle in afterward, but his control has been a minor cause of concern recently -- Sunday was his fourth consecutive game allowing multiple walks. In that span, Jones has compiled a 4.25 ERA, a 1.46 WHIP and a meager 16:11 K:BB over 21.2 innings. Jones is still an excellent fantasy option, although he will be tested in his next start, currently scheduled for next weekend at Coors Field in Colorado.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Tuesday's start rained out
Rotowire
Jones and the Pirates will not play the Tigers on Tuesday due to inclement weather, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Tuesday's contest will be made up during a doubleheader Wednesday, and Jones will presumably pitch one of the two games. The 22-year-old right-hander owns a 3.05 ERA and 0.97 WHIP on the year, though he's allowed three earned runs in six innings during both of his last two outings.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Collects third win
Rotowire
Jones (3-4) picked up the win over the Cubs on Thursday, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out seven over six innings.
Jones allowed hits in four of his six innings of work, including a solo homer off the bat of Ian Happ to lead off the second. However, the right-hander still managed to log his third consecutive quality start while also posting at least seven strikeouts for the seventh time in nine outings this season. Jones produced 15 swings and misses on the night, though his seven hits allowed marked a season high. He's won just two of his last six decisions despite carrying a 2.89 ERA on the campaign.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Takes fourth loss
Rotowire
Jones (2-4) took the loss Friday against the Cubs, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out four.
Jones allowed a solo homer to Cody Bellinger in the first inning before the Cubs tacked on runs in the fifth and sixth. The 22-year-old Jones has yet to allow more than three runs in a start this season -- his ERA sits at 2.68 with a 0.87 WHIP and 56:7 K:BB across 47 innings in his rookie campaign. Jones is currently lined up for a rematch with Chicago on the road in his next start.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Jared Jones: Brilliant in no-decision
Rotowire
Jones did not factor into the decision in Saturday's win against the Rockies. He allowed one hit and no walks while striking out 10 over seven scoreless innings.
The 22-year-old right-hander bounced back from a rather modest showing his last time out, matching his career high with 10 strikeouts. Jones got 17 swings and misses on 96 pitches and touched 100 mph with his heater a couple times. While he has a losing record at 2-3, Jones is off to a historically great start to his career. He became the first pitcher in Pirates history with an outing consisting of seven shutout innings, one hit or fewer allowed, 10 strikeouts and zero walks Saturday, and per MLB's Sarah Langs, Jones is the first pitcher since at least 1901 with 50-plus strikeouts and five or fewer walks in his first seven career starts.
