Jared Jones' electrifying return to the mound, hitting 101.1 mph after surgery, ignites hope amidst the Pittsburgh Pirates' recent struggles.
PITTSBURGH – It was a gloomy day all the way around on an overcast Thursday at PNC Park. Well almost.
The Pirates lost their fifth straight game, falling 10-5 to the St. Louis Cardinals, who finished a sweep of the four-game series. The loss also dropped Pittsburgh’s record to 16-16, and the Pirates are now the only team in the National League Central without a winning record.
The good vibes that had been surrounding the Pirates during the early portion of the season are fading, and with them goes their status as national media darlings. The storyline of a franchise that has had 29 losing seasons in the last 33 years is no longer so intriguing.
Despite these struggles, there is no sense of panic. Pirates manager Don Kelly has repeatedly praised his players for their resiliency, emphasizing that there are still 130 games left in the season.
Amidst the recent losses, one ray of light on Thursday came before the game, when Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk gave an update on right-hander Jared Jones. On Wednesday night, Jones pitched in a game for the first time since undergoing elbow surgery midway through his rookie season in 2024.
Jones pitched three perfect innings against Lakeland in a Florida State League game, throwing 41 pitches. Most impressively, his fastball topped out at 101.1 mph.
“Really cool to see Jared out there,” Tomczyk said. “Initial reports, initial input, initial data from the group down from there, and from Jared, notably, he’s recovering normally. He’s going to throw a side in the coming days. Unbelievable to see what body of work Jared put in there, and there’s more to be done. Super excited for him. I know he’s fired up.”
Jones made his major-league debut with the Pirates in 2024 and had a 6-8 record and 4.14 ERA in 22 starts. While those statistics were average, Jones showed flashes of brilliance while striking out 132 batters in 121 2/3 innings and making 11 quality starts.
As a rookie, Jones looked like a future No. 2 starter for the Pirates behind Paul Skenes. Considering Jones is still just 24, that scenario remains possible.
While Jones’ initial minor-league start was encouraging, the Pirates aren’t ready to set a target date for his return to the majors. Tomczyk explained that Jones is following a program similar to the preparation a healthy starting pitcher undergoes during spring training, gradually increasing innings and pitch counts. The team will continue evaluating his progress before determining when he might rejoin the major-league roster.
“Generally speaking, you go three (innings) and 50-ish [pitches], four and 65, five and 80, six and 90,” Tomczyk said. “We want to give Jared a spring training-type ramp up to make sure he’s in a really good spot.”
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