Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jared Jones is having a rough time.
The team announced that Jones has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right lat strain. Outfielder Josh Palacios has been called up to fill in. During Wednesday’s game, Jones left after five innings and 78 pitches because his lat muscle felt tight.
“I kind of felt it later in the game,” Jones said after Wednesday’s match (via Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). “It got really tight on me in the fifth inning there. Told (the trainer), so yeah, here we are. It’s nothing to be concerned about.”
Jones, only 22 years old, boasts a 3.56 ERA with 98 strikeouts over 16 starts this season. His fastball and slider are impressive, and he’s also shown potential with his curveball and changeup. Surprisingly, his control has improved too—walking just 7.3% of batters faced this year compared to a career rate of 9.9% in the minors.
Impact on Team Strategy
Injuries are never good news for any team , but the Pirates were planning to manage Jones’ workload anyway as the season progressed into its second half. Last year in the minors, he pitched over 120 innings both seasons, so they likely wouldn’t push him beyond 130-140 innings this year.
Fans might think this break could actually help him stay fresh for later games.
The injury also opens up opportunities for Paul Skenes to aim for the NL Rookie of the Year award more clearly now that other competitors like Shota Imanaga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are facing their own challenges.
Here’s how rookies stack up in terms of WAR:
1. SS Masyn Winn (Cardinals): 2.9 WAR
2. CF Jackson Merrill (Padres): 2.3 WAR
3. SP Paul Skenes (Pirates): 2.3 WAR
4. RP Bryan Hudson (Brewers): 2.3 WAR
5. 3B Joey Ortiz (Brewers): 2.1 WAR
Jones isn’t far behind with a WAR of 1.8 despite missing some games due to injury.
Skenes didn’t start until May but has quickly caught up with others who were part of Opening Day rosters! The Pirates will need to keep an eye on Skenes’ workload too since he’s already thrown nearly as many innings as last year’s total between college and pro ball combined.
Wild-Card Race Implications
Besides affecting rookie awards, Jones’ absence could impact Pittsburgh’s wild-card chances significantly ! The Pirates are just three games behind despite their current record standing at 41-44—losing their second-best starter might hurt those playoff dreams though…
What do you think? Can they still make it?
