Jared Jones Still Has A Lot to Prove to Pirates
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PITTSBURGH — Jared Jones is back in the Pittsburgh Pirates starting rotation and the excitement of his return has settled down, as he is working to become the pitcher he once was.
Jones struggled in his last start vs. the Athletics in the series opener at Sutter Health Park on June 15, giving up eight hits, a two-run home run and five earned runs over four innings in the 11-2 defeat.
It was a tough outing for Jones, who struggled early on and never really found much comfort on the mound, as the Athletics hitters got all over him from the beginning.
Jones showed some of what makes him such a dominant pitcher vs. the Athletics, but also that he isn't anywhere near his best after just four starts.
Where Jones Struggled vs. the Athletics
Jones began his start by giving up three straight singles to load the bases, but then amazingly, struck out the next three batters to escape unscathed.
He went with his four-seam fastball on all three strikeouts, averaging around 100 mph, and blew it right by shortstop Jacob Wilson, designated hitter Carlos Cortes and third baseman Zack Gelof.
Jones got the first out of the second inning, but then gave up three straight hits again, a double to center fielder Henry Bolte, that Pirates right fielder Ryan O'Hearn missed in the sun, a single to second baseman Jeff McNeil and then a two-run home run to first baseman Nick Kurtz.
He threw sliders down to both McNeil and Kurtz, who both got good contact on them, which saw Jones go away from the pitch the second time through the order, going from 35% to 18% usage.
“Bad. Couldn’t throw it for strikes," Jones said on his slider. "When I did, it was getting pounded.”
Jones got through the third inning quickly, just 11 pitches after about 50 pitches the first two innings, but again ran into trouble in the fourth inning.
He gave up a single to center fielder Lawrence Butler and then a two-run home run to McNeil, making it a 5-1 lead for the Athletics.
The Athletics had 15 batted ball events over the four innings Jones pitched, with eight hits and five hard hit balls.
Jones had a little more success with his changeup, four whiffs on nine swings and a strikeout, but his two hits in the fourth inning came off that pitch.
He also only threw a first pitch strike 43% and just a 29% whiff rate, not getting the strikeouts he usually gets, particularly after the first inning.
Jones Still Adjusting to Pitching in MLB Again
The Pirates starter is just four starts back from his rehab assignment after undergoing internal brace surgery last May.
Jones missed all of 2025 and hadn't started for the Pirates since Sept. 27, 2024, marking 610 days between his past two starts in the major leagues.
He has posted a 6.23 ERA over these four starts and 17.1 innings pitched, as he is on a pitch/innings restrictions, not going more than 80 pitches or five innings yet.
Jones is throwing his entire pitch mix and reaching the velocity he had before this surgery, but hasn't really gotten the desired results yet.
His best start was against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on June 4, where he threw five scoreless innings and posted four strikeouts in the 5-1 win.
Jones hasn't had the same success in his other starts, giving up five earned runs over 4.1 innings vs. the Minnesota Twins in his first start back on May 29 and then gave two earned runs facing the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 10, which would've been more, if not for Pirates left fielder Bryan Reynolds robbing Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani of a two-run home run.
It's understandable that Jones wouldn't come back the same pitcher he was pre-injury, as it's been more than a year-and-a-half since pitching for the Pirates.
He isn't making any excuses for himself following his return, showing the drive the young pitcher has and knowing what he needs to do when he takes the mound.
“It’s just an excuse and a pretty bad one if I’m being honest," Jones said postgame. "I'm in the major leagues and I’m out here to win baseball games and I haven’t been doing that.”
The Pirates need Jones at his best, as they've just fallen to 36-37, their first time below .500 since March 31.
Jones throwing like he did earlier on in 2024, when he was striking out batters for fun and posting a sub-4.00 ERA, would be massive for a Pirates team that has postseason aspirations.
The Pirates will keep their faith in Jones for now, but he'll also have to prove them right going forward and dominate on the mound once again.
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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.