Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Jared Jones, who’s having a powerful rookie season, has been positioned on the 15-day injured checklist with a proper lat pressure, the group introduced Thursday. Outfielder Josh Palacios was referred to as up in a corresponding transfer. Jones exited Wednesday’s begin after 5 innings and 78 pitches with tightness within the lat.
“I sort of felt it later within the sport,” Jones mentioned after Wednesday’s sport (through the Pittsburgh Tribune-Assessment). “It sort of received actually tight on me within the fifth inning there. Advised (the coach), so yeah, right here we’re. It is nothing to be involved about.”Â
Jones, 22, has a 3.56 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 16 begins and 91 innings this season. Each his upper-90s fastball and upper-80s slider have glorious swing-and-miss charges, and he is additionally flashed a promising curveball and changeup. Jones has additionally proven higher management than anticipated, strolling 7.3% of batters confronted this yr after a profession 9.9% stroll price within the minors.
Accidents are by no means good, although the Pirates had been going to have to watch Jones’ workload within the second half anyway, so slightly break in July is not the worst factor on the earth (so long as it the harm is minor). Within the minors, Jones threw 122 2/3 innings in 2022 and 126 1/3 innings in 2023. The Pirates are unlikely to push him past 130-140 innings this yr.
The Jones harm additionally creates a extra clear path for teammate Paul Skenes to win the NL Rookie of the 12 months award. Jones is harm, Shota Imanaga is coming again to Earth, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto is out long-term with a shoulder harm. That leaves Jackson Merrill and Masyn Winn as Skenes’ main NL Rookie of the 12 months competitors in the meanwhile.
Right 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
- RPÂ Bryan Hudson, Brewers: 2.3 WAR
- 3BÂ Joey Ortiz, Brewers: 2.1 WAR
Jones just isn’t far beneath Ortiz at 1.8 WAR. Additionally, Skenes didn’t debut till Might 29, keep in mind. The opposite 4 gamers on that checklist had been all on the Opening Day roster. Skenes has made up a number of floor in a brief time period.
In fact, Pittsburgh must monitor Skenes’ workload within the second half. He’s already the face of the franchise, the one most essential participant within the group, and they’re going to deal with him rigorously. Skenes has thrown 77 2/3 innings between Triple-A and MLB in 2024. His profession excessive is the 129 1/3 innings he threw between school and professional ball in 2023.
Along with the NL Rookie of the 12 months race, the Jones harm may additionally impression the Nationwide League’s wild-card race. The Pirates are solely three video games behind the third wild-card spot regardless of a 41-44 file. The NL is extensive open and Pittsburgh simply misplaced their second greatest starter for the foreseeable future. That hurts their competition possibilities.