A little over 11 months after undergoing an internal brace surgery, Jared Jones is slated to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Wednesday with the Pirates‘ low-A affiliate in Bradenton. Pirates GM Ben Cherington made the announcement on his weekly radio show, telling MLB.com’s Jason Mackey that Jones has “passed all the physical checks. He pitched in an extended game last week [and] 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.”
While Paul Skenes naturally garnered most of the headlines in 2024, Jones also made his big league debut that season and posted a 4.14 ERA over 121 2/3 innings and 22 starts. He hasn’t been able to follow up on that solid rookie campaign due to elbow problems that surfaced late in Spring Training 2025, though Jones was able to avoid a full Tommy John surgery. The shorter timeline usually associated with an internal brace procedure means that Jones is on track to return to Pittsburgh by late May or early June, if all goes well in his rehab. Interestingly, Mackey floated the idea that Jones could be used as a piggyback starter or even as a reliever if the Buccos want to limit his innings in his return from major surgery, as the Pirates’ rotation is strong enough at the moment that Jones isn’t necessarily needed for starting duty right away.
More from the NL Central…
- Nick Lodolo recorded seven strikeouts and allowed only two hits over five scoreless innings and 51 pitches for high-A Dayton in the first start of the Reds southpaw’s latest rehab assignment. Lodolo has yet to pitch in the majors this season due to blister problems that arose during Spring Training, and more blisters cut short his first rehab start with Dayton back on April 2. A few more weeks of recovery may have finally gotten the problem under control, though the extra time away means Lodolo will need another rehab start or two to build up his arm strength. Despite a lack of hitting and the absence of top starters Lodolo and Hunter Greene, the Reds weathered the storm to post an 18-10 record in their first 28 games.
- The Reds also activated catcher Jose Trevino from the 10-day injured list prior to today’s game with the Tigers, and catcher P.J. Higgins was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move. A thoracic spine strain has kept Trevino out of action since April 4. Now in his second season with the Reds, Trevino will resume his duties as a glove-first backup behind starting catcher Tyler Stephenson.
- Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages left Saturday’s game due to left hamstring tightness, but Pages told media (including Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that he is day to day after scans revealed no substantive damage. “Everything’s intact from the hamstring. It’s just more swelling in the area, which is fine. I just got to flush it out and be ready to go,” Pages said. The backstop didn’t play today but believed he could be ready Monday when the Cardinals open a series in Pittsburgh. Though the Cards don’t have an off-day until May 11, they have the catching depth to afford Pages extra rest time if necessary since Ivan Herrera and Yohel Pozo are both on the active roster. Known more for his glove than his bat, Pages has a respectable 101 wRC+ (from a .250/.310/.404 slash line) over his first 59 plate appearances.
With Jones coming back things are going to get exciting in Pittsburgh
Maybe.But it could go the other way.He may need all of this year to get back to the level of his start in early 2024.
Carmen is not a starting pitcher.They have to scrap that experiment.
They may need to use the designated starter.Carmen can come in after two innings and pitch three.Pirates management need to realize that.
Hopefully Barco can realize his potential sooner rather than later.
And hopefully Bubba can find some consistently as I think that it is a lot mental with him.
They really do not have anyone else ready in AAA.Harrington is not pitching particularly well and may never do well in the ML’s The other young guys promoted to the 40 man roster over the winter are not ready and may never be.
Hernandez is at least a year or two away.
Mendoza Line “aka Buzz Kill.”
Yeah, but he’s preaching common sense, and I am a Jones fan. I mean, I have to hope it means Mlodzinski going back to the pen. His limit seems to be 3 innings.
Pain-Posters smarter than you may disagree.
One has to be realistic.
If you think that Carmen will be a successful starter after two years of not being so you believe in the Easter Bunny.
Carmen does belong in the bullpen. Long relief. Either Dotel,Barco,or Jones when ready is the 5th starter
No, it’s called reality
Mendoza will forget more about baseball than you ever will know
Last night’s 11-7 loss all goes back to the previous night when the moron Kelly used 8 pitchers. Leaving them to have the kid get roughed up. This should never have happened. This clown CANNOT manage. He uses no fundamentals. Again he pinchit yorke for lowe. Ok someone will say well it was 11-3 lefty pitcher. What would have happened in the 9th after griffin homered and made it 11-7. The pirates got a say bases loaded. And yorke comes up. Do you really want him hitting instead of lowe?
Time to rid this GARBAGE manager before irs too late. He cannot manage a pitching staff. His lineups are all over the place. Gives days off to players when there is no game the next day. Total garbage.
Jones 3 innings Mlod 3 innings. There’s your starter. Maybe Jones 4 and Mlod 2 and Mlod can pitch 1 or 2 innings before next Jones start.
That may very well be the answer,but it would be good to have Carmen pitch after another starter too as he does a very good job in long relief for 2 or 3 innings.
I see Jones in the rotation and Carmen in the pen where, if I were calling the shots, Carmen would get Save opportunities. Carmen’s stuff in short bursts could make him an electrifying closer IMHO.
Backup-They may consider him as they may not try hard to resign Santana.
Or they could make Jones the closer as his body may not be durable enough to start.
@mendoza line, it’s Cam or Urquidy. Pick your poison.
Cam is not ML quality.
Urquidy is pitching fairly well for AAA,and has done decently in the ML’s.
Mendoza line: Thomas Harrington?
Harrington a couple of years ago was in the top 100 ML prospects but he pitched relatively poorly last year and has not gotten off to a good start in AAA this year either.
He does not have the big time speed and stuff that is coveted.
I think that he is a decent backup plan but these guys are all suspects until they prove themselves in the MLs.
Barco has started pitching better in AAA and really is a starter and not a reliever.
And yes Bill Dotel on very limited innings seems like he has talent.Sometimes these young guys can be mediocre in AAA but blossom fairly quickly in the MLs.Only time will tell.
Remember Roansey Contreras?!
Dotel looked good last night, four perfect innings, 1.35 era overall olin limited action this year with the Pirates, he’s only 23, worth a continued look.
Billy. Dotel was very good. Proves he should be a starter.
Now kellys moves last night proved he’s not the right fit as manager. Takes a guy out after 7 pitches another after 8. Now if the games would of went into extra innings, then what?
This bullpen will be depleted by memorial day.
First my name not Billy, second Dotel had pitched more than any other time this season, it was a bullpen game since Ashcraft was available.
WELL EXCUSE ME..IT WAS A TYPO
I can understand Mlod wanting to start – even a mediocre starter makes 3 times what a good setup reliever makes. But he has yet to demonstrate that he can turn a lineup more than once consistently. He needs to be piggybacked or in the pen. Team before player.
I’ve said it before.The long reliever position is a very important one in today’s game.Carmen has shown that he is a good one.
And yesterday’s debacle again proves that a good team needs two closers to be successful.
And a manger who knows how to use them.
When Lodolo returns who loses their spot in the rotation? Williamson?
Either Williamson or Lowder since they’re both probably both on innings limits. Abbott could maybe use a reset though.
Abbott’s lack of Ks and overall poor numbers tells me he’s destined for the pen where the Reds could use a LHP. As an aside, I think Ashcraft is the Reds best reliever and should be the closer.
Pirates taking the NL Central this year don’t @ me.