Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk provided some injury updates to reporters, including Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Perhaps most notably, right-hander Jared Jones is doing well in his rehab and the club is trying to have him ready at the one-year mark of his surgery.
Jones underwent surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow on May 21st of 2025. It was not a full Tommy John surgery, as the club announced it as a UCL repair, rather than a replacement. They also listed the estimated return timeline as 10 to 12 months, shorter than that of TJS.
When the Bucs signed José Urquidy a couple of weeks ago, they put Jones on the 60-day injured list. That clock doesn’t start until the season opens, so Jones won’t be eligible for reinstatement until late May, but it seems the Pirates are hoping that he can be healthy enough to be activated as soon as the 60 days are up.
That would be a great development for the Pirates if all goes according to plan. Jones had an exciting debut in 2024, posting a 4.14 earned run average in 121 2/3 innings. He struck out 26.2% of batters faced while only giving out walks 7.7% of the time. Pittsburgh goes into the season with Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller in two rotation spots. They should be followed by some combination of Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler, Urquidy, Hunter Barco and Thomas Harrington.
Ideally, Jones can get healthy by late May and jump into that group. Who gets bumped out will naturally depend on who is healthy and performing well in the interim. Skenes is optionable but obviously isn’t getting sent down. Keller and Urquidy can’t be optioned to the minors without consent since each has at least five years of service time, though Urquidy consented to being optioned with the Tigers last year. Everyone else in the mix is optionable.
Turning to the bullpen, Ryan Harbin won’t be in the mix for the Opening Day roster. He has a teres major injury and won’t throw for the next six weeks, at which point he will undergo further imaging. Whenever he is declared healthy, he will have to ramp back up to game readiness.
Harbin was added to the club’s 40-man roster in November. He has a full slate of options and his upper level minor league experience is still limited, with just 14 appearances at both Double-A and Triple-A. He was probably a long shot to earn an Opening Day roster spot but he will be in the mix for an up-and-down bullpen depth job this year. That will be on pause until he gets healthy. Even once cleared, he will probably have to show some improved command. He struck out 31.9% of batters faced in the minors last year but gave out walks at a massive 16% clip.
Infielder Jack Brannigan got hit in the nose with a ground ball recently and sustained multiple injuries to the area. His timeline is still being determined. He is on the 40-man roster but wasn’t likely to factor into the Opening Day roster as he still has no Triple-A experience. He should be ticketed for a depth role this year, so there shouldn’t be a strong need to rush through this current setback.
There was also an update on non-roster infielder/outfielder Ronny Simón. He underwent shoulder surgery about four months ago and should get into games in late March or early April. He suffered a dislocated left shoulder in August and finished last year on the IL. He was non-tendered in November and then re-signed to a minor league deal. He’ll have to get healthy and then embark on a delayed spring ramp-up before factoring into the club’s position player depth. He hasn’t hit much in the majors yet but slashed .297/.392/.452 on the farm last year while stealing 28 bases in just 69 games and bouncing around to multiple positions.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
If anyone else is wondering what the date 60-Day IL guys can be activated if they start the season on the 60-Day IL, it’s Memorial Day. That would be day 61. Just as a reference.
Bob—related to Mark Saccomanno?
Bob Sacamano is Kramer’s unseen friend on Seinfeld.
He eats horse all the time, he gets it from his butcher.
Wait, that’s Jay Remerschneider.
Bob had the botched hernia operation.
Never rub another man’s rhubarb.
Sack lunch and bob sacamano in the same thread?!? Im at the nexus of the universe!
It’s like an ice cream man named cone!
Jarod, had a few bad games that year out of 22. most where mid rotation type. Assuming he comes back fine I’d expect him to be a 2/3 type
EDIT: i said the wrong year
Having a hard time following this comment. Sorry.
Out of 22?
Most where mid rotation type?
Wrong Thomas Harrington linked.
Really need to figure out 3B depth. Do the dirty and give up what you need to give up for Baty. Overpay.
The Mets don’t have depth either. They’re not going to move anyone of consequence, particularly since they’re talking about needing to start Vientos up in MLB, much to the chagrin of many Mets fans.
I think Paredes is still an option, particularly if we could work out a three way trade so the Astros can get an OF from either the Twins or Rockies and we give them prospects.
Mets wont trade Baty with the Lindor injury.
Pirates need to trade Oneil Cruz for Jeremy Pena. They can make that trade work.
Pittsburgh traded a good pitcher in Oviedo for Jhostnyxon Garcia. Mangum is a good hitter too. If Ronny Simon is strong, he hit some last year in AAA, and is good depth on the bench until Valdez gets the call.
Would the Astros even entertain that idea? You’d think they’d be more interested in moving Paredes. I don’t want him due to our left field measurements unless he is the only option.
I think the Astros should trade Pena and start Paredes everyday.
I think Pena was in discussions with the Astros for an extension, those talks didnt go well, Boras offered him a boatload of insurance and signed him away, and the Astros wont be resigning him in the ’28 off season.
Pena fits the Pirates timeline. Two good runs at it with Skenes, can still land a haul in ’28 in a trade.
I think both sides feel like something is missing from the trade but I think it works straight up myself but both teams can make that trade work with a little tuning.
Why would they trade for a SS, with KG waiting in the wings? They need a 3B.
It’s Alika Williams. God help us all.
Agreed. Looks to be Alika if Konnor starts in AAA
Lets hope the kid makes the team
Heard Brannigan is built like a steakhouse, but handles like a bistro.
And his uniform is real velour
I think all uniforms should be velour. Hopefully Brannigan can inspire the rest of the league. If we can hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate.
Chess is a monkey’s game.
Monkey’s are very intelligent. They have good memories. You can train them and their memories are flexible, they learn, and they will “ape” your training.
Bobby Fischer at the end of his career became disillusioned with the game, and said it was all memory and book learning.
There is a lot to be said for putting in the study and exexuting a game plan. Imagine a monkey playing chess in a velour suit, eating nachos between moves.
I dont play chess myself, Dominoes is a great game. Very little strategy, just play your tiles as they fit the board.
I like Block game, no boneyard, buck a point, 20 for a Domino, play to a 100, 20 for game. You can drop a grand playing those stakes.
Domino MF’er.
I don’t remember that quote from Futurama.
But have you tried using creamed corn when making cornbread? Keeps the bread moist. And add some pickled jalapeños? Solid move to add some vinegar to balance the honey you put on top.
I hear Bender cracked corn, I still don’t care.
How’s your rummy 500 game?
Never seen Futurama, hope I never have to.
Cornbread I like. A nice baguette is my preference.
Rummy 500 is a great game. I last played in jail with a fat guy named Tommy who looked like a walrus.
“How’s the peeping? Tommy? How’s the peeping? Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy.”
Tommy? Oh that Tommy Boy and his peeping. Who do you think his favorite Little Rascal is? Alfalfa or Spankey?
That makes sense.
Great win for the Pirates the other day, it was Nick Dombkowski picking up a 4-3 victory over Dave Dombrowski’s Philadelphia Phillies.
Dombkowski is an interesting buy low candidate for a LHRP.
Darragh I read somewhere that the 60 day IL can be backdated three days. Is that accurate?
Brannigan to the 60 day to clear a roster spot I’m guessing
Carmen Mlodzinski is a favorite for one of those rotation spots.
He was much better as a multi inning reliever. I think he’ll likely do that with the young starters again.
Yea, but he was better because he changed his repertoire and pitch usage. That’s why he’s favored to start again—gotta see if the changes transfer to the more important role.
If Carmen can give three good innings every three days I am not sure that a starter is the more important role.
carmen could better serve the staff in long relief. He’s horrible at being a starter