Pirates’ Jared Jones goes on IL with lat injury, while Paul Skenes’ route to NL ROY accolades becomes more evident.
Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Jared Jones, who is having a remarkable rookie season, has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right lat strain, as announced by the team on Thursday. In a corresponding move, outfielder Josh Palacios was called up. Jones left Wednesday’s start after five innings and 78 pitches due to lat tightness.
“I kind of felt it later in the game,” Jones said after Wednesday’s game (via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). “It kind of 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, 22, has posted a 3.56 ERA with 98 strikeouts over 16 starts and 91 innings this season. His upper-90s fastball and upper-80s slider have excellent swing-and-miss rates, and he’s also shown promise with his curveball and changeup. Additionally, Jones has displayed better control than expected, walking 7.3% of batters faced this year compared to a career 9.9% walk rate in the minors.
While injuries are never good news, the Pirates were planning to monitor Jones’ workload in the second half of the season anyway. A short break in July might not be the worst scenario, provided the injury is minor. In the minors, Jones threw 122 2/3 innings in 2022 and 126 1/3 innings in 2023. The Pirates are unlikely to push him beyond 130-140 innings this year.
Jones’ injury also clears a more straightforward path for teammate Paul Skenes to win the NL Rookie of the Year award. With Jones hurt, Shota Imanaga struggling, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto out long-term with a shoulder injury, Jackson Merrill and Masyn Winn are Skenes’ primary competition for the award.
Here is the NL rookie WAR leaderboard:
– SS Masyn Winn, Cardinals: 2.9 WAR
– CF Jackson Merrill, Padres: 2.3 WAR
– SP Paul Skenes, Pirates: 2.3 WAR
– RP Bryan Hudson, Brewers: 2.3 WAR
– 3B Joey Ortiz, Brewers: 2.1 WAR
Jones is close behind Ortiz with a 1.8 WAR. Notably, Skenes did not debut until May 29, while the other players on the list were on the Opening Day roster, meaning Skenes has made significant progress in a short time.
The Pirates will also need to manage Skenes’ workload in the second half. He is already considered the face of the franchise and a crucial player for the organization. Skenes has pitched 77 2/3 innings between Triple-A and MLB in 2024, with a career-high of 129 1/3 innings between college and pro ball in 2023.
Beyond the Rookie of the Year race, Jones’ injury could affect the National League’s wild-card race. The Pirates are only three games behind the third wild-card spot despite a 41-44 record. The NL is wide open, and losing their second-best starter for the foreseeable future could hurt Pittsburgh’s contention chances.