Pirates’ Jared Jones Nearing Rehab Assignment Following Live BP Session
The Pittsburgh Pirates should soon receive a massive boost down the stretch in the form of right-hander Jared Jones, who’s been sidelined since July 3rd with a right lat strain.
After completing two successful bullpen sessions, one in Arizona and the other in Houston last week, the 22-year-old starter threw a 45-pitch live batting practice session at PNC Park on Saturday, where he faced 10 batters over three simulated innings.
That was the final test to determine whether Jones is ready to resume live-game reps. Now that he’s cleared that hurdle, the next step in his recovery process will include a rehab assignment, which is expected to begin at Triple-A Indianapolis later this week.
“They’re mapping out the schedule now,” Pirates GM Ben Cherington told reporters Sunday, including the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Noah Hiles. “I’d guess by the end of the day, or early tomorrow we’ll have more clarity on the schedule. I’d anticipate that a rehab assignment in Indianapolis would start soon.”
Jones will likely require multiple rehab outings now that he’s been out for over a month, although the club plans to build up his stamina slowly following an extended layoff.
The promising young rookie has excelled in his first big-league season, pitching to a 5-6 record with a 3.56 ERA, 3.75 FIP and 98 strikeouts over 91 innings in 16 starts. He’s showcased an electric arsenal, headlined by his high-90s fastball, which features a 94th-percentile average velocity (97.3 mph).
“He was good,” manager Derek Shelton said Saturday. “The sharpness of the stuff, I think that will come back as he gets out on rehab outings. But overall, it was very encouraging watching him pitch.”
The 2020 second-round selection will aim for around 45-50 pitches when he takes the mound for his first Triple-A rehab start. From there, he’ll increase his workload gradually while attempting to make a late-season return to the Pirates’ starting rotation.
“Usually what you do for a starting pitcher during a rehab assignment, their first start would sort of mimic that, because the intensity does go up in a game, even in a Triple-A game,” Cherington said. “So, if he threw three [innings] and 45 pitches yesterday in a live BP, I’m guessing his first [outing] will be something around that, and then we’d build off of that.”
Without Jones, veteran Marco Gonzales has moved from the bullpen to the rotation, joining a staff that includes rookie phenom Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Luis L. Ortiz and Bailey Falter. That group has kept this team afloat in the right-hander’s absence, ranking fourth in ERA (3.30) and 11th in innings pitched (232) in the majors since July 4th.
The Pirates could certainly use a swing in momentum over these final two months, as the club enters Monday’s slate 3.5 games back of the final NL wild-card seed, currently held by the Arizona Diamondbacks, whom they dropped two out of three against this past weekend.
Pittsburgh begins another pivotal series Tuesday versus the San Diego Padres, who hold a slim margin for the second seed in the action-packed NL wild-card race.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: Ken Sutton. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.