Jones on a mound again, eager to rejoin Bucs' rugged rotation

PITTSBURGH -- It was a Christmas morning feel for Jared Jones when he got to put his cleats to rubber on Jan. 10. After nearly a year of starting and stopping rehab and an eventual internal brace surgery on his pitching elbow in May, the right-hander finally was throwing a bullpen session again.

When asked what the emotions of that day were like, Jones answered, “Let’s go!”

One might argue that’s not really an emotion, but it is an encapsulation of who Jones is as a person. He’s a fiery competitor with electricity in his right arm and a devil-may-care approach that makes his high-90s fastball and biting slider deadly. The Pirates’ rotation sorely missed him last year, even if they had a good year as a unit.

While the Pirates are still searching to acquire more pitching, getting a healthy Jones back probably would be the biggest boost the rotation could get next season.

There are still steps to take before then. That first bullpen session was a big one. He’s now throwing two a week and is two or three weeks away from adding breaking pitches. For those of you breaking out a calendar, that’s right around when Pirates pitchers and catchers are going to be reporting to Bradenton, Fla., for Spring Training. So Jones should have some company after spending much of his rehab at Pirate City.

“Right now, I'm competing against throwing fastballs in the zone,” Jones said at PiratesFest on Friday. “Every time I don't do that, I have some choice words for myself. So I haven't lost that edge yet."

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Losing his edge never seemed like a real concern, but adding him to a rotation with reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, veteran leader Mitch Keller and young studs like Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft and Hunter Barco (not to mention another potential free agent) could make one of the strongest rotations in the game even better.

While he was not suiting up for the team last year, Jones watched every game on television if he wasn’t in the dugout. He got to see that group take off while not being able to contribute himself for a Pirates team that fell short of expectations.

Not being able to play, one thing was clear.

"I missed baseball,” Jones said. “Sitting on my couch and watching a game is not fun compared to being in the dugout or being the one flinging it."

That’s why he hasn’t had much of an offseason, in his eyes. Outside of getting married and attending another wedding, it’s mostly been a lot of throwing -- and a lot of people checking in on his rehab to make sure he’s all right.

“Some friends would come out to the house and visit to make sure I'm all right,” Jones said. “My wife lives with me every day. She's been awesome for me. Really everyone in my circle has been awesome."

The hope is Jones is returning to a more competitive team in 2026, too. It has been a busier offseason for the Pirates, acquiring some much-needed offensive help in Ryan O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum. Jones and Mangum finally got to meet in person at PiratesFest, but there is more excitement surrounding the team.

"Sounds like we're going to win a lot of ballgames here soon,” Jones said.

Jones would be a big boost toward that. Time will tell when Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” will blast over PNC Park’s loudspeakers again as he runs out to the mound. If nothing else, he’s closer to that goal.

"Every time I pick up a ball right now, I appreciate every second of it,” Jones said.