Jared Jones Ready to Shine for Pirates Once Again
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PITTSBURGH — Jared Jones hasn't pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates for almost two years, but he's finally able to do what he loves back with his teammates.
Jones will start for the Pirates against the Minnesota Twins on May 29 in the series opener at PNC Park, marking his first outing in the major leagues since September 2024.
The Pirates pitcher had missed all of 2025 and the first two months of 2026 in his rehab from injury/surgery and will make his season debut after more than 600 days since his last start.
"Pretty damn cool," Jones said on making it back to the Pirates. "It took a lot of time, 12 months, almost exactly, of not playing baseball. You kind of get a sense, it's like you need it. That's kind of what I've learned about myself over that time. I'm just extremely grateful to be back."
Long Road Back From Injury
Jones readied himself for a big year in 2025, as he had put in a strong showing as a rookie in 2024 and looked to get even better in his sophomore season.
Those hopes didn't last long, as he dealt with elbow pain in Spring Training and then after still dealing with it following time off and a chance to get back, he decided for internal brace surgery.
Jones underwent that surgery on May 21, 2025, with the anticipation of coming back by the end of May the next year, which he ended up doing.
It was a tough time out for Jones, who had to wait patiently before throwing again and then undergoing an extensive rehab, slowly building up his workload and going through numerous, different stages.
"All of that. I haven't been around the guys for basically all of last year and the first month and a half-ish of this year," Jones said. "Not being in the clubhouse or being around your friends is kind of tough, but luckily for me I've got a pretty cool wife and a pretty cool dog back at home. They made it easy on me.
Jones thanked many different people in Bradenton, Fla., like senior rehab coordinator Seth Steinhauer, minor league strength and conditioning coach Nick Pressley and pitching coordinator Vic Black, who helped him throughout the early parts of his rehab.
He then finally made his rehab assignment start with Single-A Bradenton on April 29 and made five total, two starts each with Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis, before finally coming back with the Pirates.
That first start with Bradenton was the moment that Jones realized he was close to getting back and he only got more pumped up with each outing.
“I feel like I got pretty excited with my first rehab start," Jones said. "Obviously that was just the beginning, and then the last one in Toledo got the juices going a little bit. Obviously tomorrow will be tomorrow.”
Excitement Around Re-Joining Pirates Rotation
Jones won't just come back with the Pirates and fill a small role, he gets to go right back into the starting rotation and make his first start in front of his home fans.
The Pirates could've decided to ease Jones back into his starting role, but they're showing belief in him right now and Jones couldn't be more thankful for them feeling the same way he does.
“Pretty rewarding," Jones said. "I’ve taken 12 months off and being able to show I still who I am from 2024 throughout rehab and stuff like that, it is pretty rewarding.”
The Pirates have a strong starting rotation, including Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, veteran Mitch Keller, potential All-Star in Braxton Ashcraft and rookie Bubba Chandler.
Pittsburgh drafted all five pitchers and Jones is excited to finally be part of this rotation and dominate with this group.
“Sitting from my couch for the last 12 months and getting to watch them throw on TV and stuff like that, it’s been pretty fun," Jones said. "Paul is obviously Paul, and what he does on a day-to-day basis is really cool to watch. Braxton, I feel like you can say he’s shocked the world with what he’s come into the league with. He’s been pretty fun to watch as well. Bubba is Bubba, there’s really no other way to put it, and Mitch is obviously one of the anchors of our rotation. It’s pretty cool.”
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.