A change of scenery provided a positive boost to Jared Jones, who has been based in Florida all spring while working his way back from InternalBrace surgery on his right elbow.
The 24-year-old right-hander threw a bullpen session to positive reviews from his Pittsburgh Pirates coaches and teammates Tuesday at PNC Park, taking one step closer to returning to the starting rotation.
“Yeah, it’s starting to kind of feel more real,” said Jones, who has been based at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla. “Getting out of Florida out at the complex, been there for a little bit too long. But being around the guys, being around a winning team, seeing all the vibes we got going on here, it’s fun to be around.”
Pirates pitching coach Bill Murphy said Jones looked “amazing,” calling the 21-pitch session “exciting to watch.” Murphy focused on getting a feel for what Jones’ stuff looks like and how his body is responding to ramping up since spring training.
“He’s ready to go,” Murphy said. “We all know Jared. He wants to compete and he’s ready to go. And that’s cool but there’s a process and he needs to keep building. We’re pumped that he’s feeling so great.”
Jones was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 26, so he won’t be eligible to return to the Pirates until at least late May. Meantime, he’s expected to build back up until he can begin a rehabilitation assignment that should start with an outing for Low-A Bradenton.
“Absolutely, I feel we’re on track,” Jones said. “I feel like I can pitch today if they needed me. But you know, the 60-day thing doesn’t allow that.”
Jones hasn’t pitched in a game since March 13, 2025, when he allowed one run on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 4⅓ innings in a Grapefruit League game against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers. He began experiencing right elbow discomfort and was shut down.
That cost the Pirates one of their top starting pitchers last season. Jones went 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 132 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .232 batting average in 121⅔ innings over 22 starts as a rookie in 2024 and was expected to be in the middle of the rotation.
Pirates manager Don Kelly was impressed with Jones’ bullpen, saying he “looks like he’s in a really good spot” in his rehab progression and expressing his hope that “everything continues to go smooth.” Kelly said the goal is for Jones to make more bullpen sessions in Pittsburgh to prepare him for his return to the starting rotation this summer.
“In saying that, I know we’re not going to be able to completely turn him loose to 180 innings first year back,” Kelly said. “So how we manage that is to be seen, as far as workload goes, but just really happy with the spot he’s in and how healthy he’s feeling and how the ball is coming out.”
As much as Jones enjoyed spending two days with the first-place Pirates, he was ready to return to Bradenton so that he could throw live batting practice in simulated game situations.
“Happy with how it went,” Jones said. “It sucks to say but I’m excited to get back down to Florida, feel like getting going again. It’s getting closer.”