When Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jared Jones went on the 15-day injured list, it was thought he wouldn’t be out long. After seeing team doctors, it was determined he wouldn’t even be able to begin throwing for 15 days.
Pirates Pitcher Jared Jones Will Be Out Longer Than Thought
If the gutsy rookie is out for a long time, it will be a huge blow for the Pirates. The 22-year-old right-hander is 5-6 with a 3.56 ERA that belies how dominant he’s been at times. He has a 1.110 WHIP, 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings, and a 3.63 strikeout-to-walk ratio. If there’s any bright side to this, it’s the fact that Jones’s stay on the IL will overlap with the All-Star break.
With Jones out long, let’s look at some candidates to take his spot in the Pirates rotation.
Rehabbing Pitchers
Injured pitchers Marco Gonzales and Quinn Priester are currently on rehab assignments at Triple-A Indianapolis. In three starts for the Bucs, Gonzales, acquired in an offseason trade, pitched well despite having no decisions. In three starts covering 17 innings, the soft tosser has pitched to a 2.65 ERA and 1.176 WHIP. Gonzales went on the injured list on April 14 with a recurrence of the left forearm strain that sidelined him for much of 2023. His rehab assignment began on Monday evening in Louisville. Gonzales went three innings, surrendering two runs (one earned) on three hits. He struck out three and walked one. More importantly, he emerged healthy from his 51-pitch outing.
However, after such a long layoff, Gonzales will require a long rehab assignment before rejoining the Pirates. A reasonable target might be late July or early August after he’s built up his pitch count. Nobody will block Gonzales from taking a spot in the Pirates rotation if Jones is still out that long.
Priester went on the IL on June 6 with a right lat muscle injury. Priester, the 2019 first-round pick in the June Amateur Draft, started six games for the Pirates this season. He is 0-5 with a 4.83 ERA, 1.547 WHIP, and 5.72 FIP. He’s lasted just 31 2/3 innings in those starts. Nevertheless, the 23-year-old has fared much better at Indianapolis. Priester is 3-1 in seven starts with a 3.21 ERA and 1.069 WHIP. This includes Tuesday’s rehab start, also at Louisville, where he pitched five innings and gave up just one run on three hits while striking out six. He threw 70 pitches and seems to be building himself up to take a major league mound.
Another No. 1 Pick
After being acquired in a trade with the San Francisco Giants on May 10, Daulton Jefferies was called up to Pittsburgh on June 17. The 2016 No. 1 pick of the Oakland Athletics has made three relief appearances with the Pirates. In 10 innings, his ERA is 6.30. However, that’s a bit misleading because he’s been left on the mound to eat innings in lost causes. Even so, his work at Indianapolis was far from stellar. In five starts in Indy, he had a 6.10 ERA and 1.742 WHIP. In any event, manager Derek Shelton has had ample opportunity to give Jefferies some starts whenever starters went down. He opted for bullpen games instead.
The Logical Candidate
Luis Ortiz has quietly emerged as an important part of the Pirates pitching staff. Now that Jones will be out for a long period, the Pirates may rely on Ortiz more heavily. Ortiz got a brief look as a starter with the Pirates in 2022. However, after a mysterious drop in velocity in 2023, he broke camp with the Bucs as a reliever. He’s been effective despite not regaining his velocity. He’s 4-2 with a save, 3.27 ERA, 1.236 WHIP, and 3.36 FIP.
After several effective multi-inning stints in bullpen games, Shelton turned to Oritz to make a start in Cincinnati on June 26. Ortiz gave him six solid innings, giving up just one run on four hits while striking out seven and walking nobody in a 6-1 victory. At least for now, Ortiz looks like the logical candidate to take Jones’s spot.
The Last Word
It will be interesting to see who takes Jones’s spot in the rotation and how his injury will affect the Pirates’ approach to the trade deadline. With a rotation of Jones, Mitch Keller, and Paul Skenes, the Pirates are a dark horse contender, especially if general manager Ben Cherington picks up some good hitters. Without Jones for any length of time? Pirates fans hope it doesn’t cause their favorite team to wave the white flag and begin the annual July sell-off.
Main Photo Credits: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
