Examining all angles of Jared Jones' injury

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf’s Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PITTSBURGH -- Jared Jones and the Pirates may not have gotten the worst-case scenario for his right UCL sprain, but the final outcome was far from ideal.

On Wednesday, Jones underwent surgery on his right elbow. It wasn’t a Tommy John procedure, but rather a revision that is usually referred to as an “internal brace.” While a full reconstruction of the elbow usually has a 14- to 16-month recovery window, the internal brace procedure has an estimated 10- to 12-month range.

Regardless of which procedure was done, it does slam the door shut on Jones potentially returning to the rotation in 2025.

“I will miss the game, competing, my teammates and everything that goes with baseball,” Jones wrote on his Instagram on Wednesday, confirming it was a successful internal brace surgery. “Can’t wait to jump over that line again.”

After news like this, it’s fair to have questions. After the surgery, there’s finally some clarity and answers.

Why didn't he have the surgery in March?

Jones suffered the initial injury in Spring Training, and after gathering several opinions and doing rounds of imaging, it was determined that he should be shut down for six weeks and then build back up. He was up to throwing from 100 feet until late last week when he started experiencing recurring symptoms that warranted another visit with Dr. Keith Meister. It was there that it was determined that Jones needed surgery.

The immediate reaction may be frustration that Jones didn’t have the procedure the first go-around. After all, he could be about two months into his rehab by now. It’s not that simple, though. Surgery is always a last resort, and at the time, it was determined that it wasn’t necessary.

“In Spring Training, it was not a black-and-white case,” general manager Ben Cherington said. “At that time, through the conversation… it was determined – and Dr. Meister felt confident – that we should take a bet. We should make a bet on conservative care rehab. Let's see if we can bring this back, because it was not a black-and-white case.”

The Pirates made that bet with the hope that Jones could return in the second half of this year. It obviously didn’t work, but it was nobody’s fault. It’s not uncommon for pitchers who take the conservative route to experience a setback in the long-toss stage. That’s what happened to Jones.

Who takes his spot?

Carmen Mlodzinski earned the fifth starter job out of Spring Training, but he was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis this week. Mike Burrows made his first Major League start in his place on Thursday.

Burrows is hardly going to be the only rookie making starts down the stretch for the Pirates. Bubba Chandler -- the top pitching prospect in the game, according to MLB Pipeline -- is knocking on the door. Thomas Harrington and Hunter Barco, two top 100 prospects, are also there. Braxton Ashcraft was a top 100 guy last year. Mlodzinski will continue to get looks as a starter with Indianapolis and could earn another look in the Majors.

The Pirates have starting pitching depth. They now have a spot to give different guys looks to see who can contribute both this year and next year.

“That’s a group of young starting pitchers who we believe either already have contributed to the Pirates in 2025 or we hope will in 2025, and we hope meaningfully with all of those guys,” Cherington said. “In terms of what the timing is and when it happens, it’s really case by case.”

Is there any good news?

It’s hard to try to see the cup half full when dealing with a season-ending injury, but it’s worth repeating that this wasn’t the worst-case scenario. If Jones had a full revision surgery, that 14- to 16-month window would mean that if he had any sort of setback, his 2026 would be in jeopardy. Even a recovery without any bumps in the road would mean that he almost certainly wouldn’t return until after the All-Star break.

With a 10- to 12-month window to return to full competition, this could mean that Jones will be ready for the early stages of next season. This organization’s eyes should probably be on 2026 anyway. They’ll still have a young, talented rotation in place, anchored by Paul Skenes. Jones will be a part of that, and not only will the Allegheny Electric Company be back in business, they’ll probably expand with Chandler in the mix.

Until then, it’s rest, rehab and waiting.