Pirates' Ben Cherington Reveals Plan For Jared Jones Rehab Start originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Jared Jones is slated to take a massive step toward his Pittsburgh Pirates return.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington announced Sunday on his "Pirates Insider Show," via MLB.com's Jason Mackey, that Jones is scheduled to start his rehab assignment with Low-A Bradenton on Wednesday. Jones will look to make his long-awaited comeback after missing the 2025 season with a UCL sprain in his right elbow.
Jones hasn't pitched since Sept. 27, 2024, so the Pirates will ease him back in hopes of welcoming the right-hander back to the majors in late May or early June.
"At some point he’ll pitch at higher levels," Cherington said. "We anticipate, assuming that first outing goes well, we’ll take it an outing at a time and map out the rest of the schedule. We anticipate several outings, trying to approximate a spring training as closely as we can."
Jones underwent an internal brace surgery last May, but he's making good progress in his recovery.
"He’s passed all the physical checks," Cherington added. "He pitched in an extended game last week. Was up to 100 mph. He has the velocity and has been recovering well. Now he has to get back into that routine of being a pitcher and getting outs."
Jones made an immediate impact upon joining Pittsburgh's rotation in 2024, posting a 4.14 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 121 2/3 innings. Buoyed by a high-90s heater, he boasted the ninth-highest swinging-strike rate (14.1%) of all starters with at least 100 innings.
While a healthy Jones would be welcome news for the Pirates, they're also not currently desperate for a rotation boost. Their starting staff brandishes MLB's fourth-lowest ERA (3.30) entering Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Pirates already brandish a formidable rotation of Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler and Carmen Mlodzinski, but Jones would give the National League Central contenders another young power arm to propel their playoff pursuit.
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