Pirates Pitching Coach Addresses Jared Jones' Potential Return
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to have Jared Jones return to their team soon, particularly pitching coach Bill Murphy.
The right-handed starting pitcher is currently with the Pirates and threw his first bullpen at PNC Park on April 14, which is a part of his work to get back to full fitness after season-ending surgery last season.
Pirates pitching coach Bill Murphy is in his first season on the job and spent time with Jones during his session
“Just getting a feel for what his stuff looks like and how his body is responding," Murphy said. "All indications are that he’s feeling great and his stuff is in a really nice place.”
What Murphy Saw From Jared Jones
Jones is currently on the 60-day injured list, which officially started on March 26 for Opening Day, so the Pirates can't even activate him to bring him back until May 25 at earliest.
It's been a long time since Jones last pitched for the Pirates as a rookie in the 2024 season and even with that, he's throwing all of his pitches and Murphy has noted that he's looked great so far.
“Just keep going," Murphy said. "He looked amazing in the bullpen today. Just seeing how he recovers and taking the next step from there. But it’s really exciting. It’s exciting to watch him from here, at PNC Park.”
Jones will need to do rehab assignments in the minor leagues, likely starting at Single-A Bradenton, and then moving on up the levels to Triple-A Indianapolis and then eventually back to the Pirates at some point this season, likely by early June if everything goes well.
Murphy sees the competitive nature in Jones and that while he might want to go pitch for the Pirates right now, there's still some time needed before he makes his true return.
"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.”
Timeline of Jared Jones' Injury
Jones started feeling pain in his elbow during Spring Training, which saw the Pirates put him on the injured list and try to work his way back.
He would make progress, but then eventually struggled making a full recovery, with the Pirates eventually discovering that Jones suffered an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) sprain.
Jones elected internal brace surgery and Dr. Keith Meister performed it on May 21, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. The return timeline for this surgery is 10-12 months, which makes Jones on time for the May-June projection.
If he underwent Tommy John surgery, he would've missed all of 2026 as well, but the internal brace surgery is less invasive. It still is a serious procedure, repairing the ligaments back to the bone, allowing it to heal, then augmenting it, making it stronger.
Jones threw off a flat mound back on Dec. 9, which is also known as a "flat," then threw his firstbullpen session back on Jan. 11.
He spent time down with Pirates in Bradenton, Fla. working back in Spring Training and was still down there prior to joining the Pirates for this series vs. the Washington Nationals.
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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.