The fear of elbow surgery has been realized for one of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top starting pitchers.
The Pirates announced on Wednesday that right-hander Jared Jones underwent right elbow surgery to repair his UCL. Senior Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk told the media that Jones’ arm “didn’t feel good” after throwing from 100 feet.
The Pirates and Jared Jones have made the decision to undergo elbow surgery today.
“Late last week when he started throwing 100 feet, the arm didn’t feel good…that’s when we made the decision…” @KDKA pic.twitter.com/gF1fWZojHb
— Cassidy Wood (@CassidyWoodTV) May 21, 2025
Wednesday’s procedure was performed in Dallas by Dr. Keith Meister. According to a source, Jones traveled to Dallas for a second opinion on March 25 when he first dealt with the arm troubles. The scan came back better than expected, avoiding Tommy John for the time being, and Jones was scheduled not to throw for 6-8 weeks.
Jones is expected to return to a Major League mound in 10-12 months. The surgery is not officially Tommy John, which has a recovery time of 12-16 months, but will keep Jones off a mound for the rest of 2025 and possibly through spring training.
RHP Jared Jones underwent right elbow surgery today in Dallas by Dr. Keith Meister. The procedure performed was a repair to the UCL.
A projected return to full competition in 10-12 months.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 21, 2025
One of baseball’s most exciting young arms in 2024, Jones broke camp with the Pirates after a breakout spring training.
Jared Jones just threw one of nastiest pitches you will see all season. pic.twitter.com/mDYibaevZe
— MLB (@MLB) April 22, 2024
Jones, 23, made 22 starts as a rookie, topping out around 99-100 mph with his fastball. He earned a 4.14 ERA and 1.19 WHIP through 121.2 innings, finishing with a 6-8 record.
A 2020 second-round pick as one of Ben Cherington’s first selections, Jones struck out 132 batters compared to 39 walks. Jones missed a month following a lat injury suffered in early July.
If Jones misses the full extent of the timeframe, we may not see him until June 2026 or around the 2026 All-Star Break. It’s a crushing blow to the Pirates’ pitching depth. The Pirates begin a four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday at PNC Park.
