Outlook Jared Jones
Jared Jones flashes elite velocity in his return, but faces a major test against the Dodgers.
Jared Jones recently returned from a long stint on the 60-day injured list, instantly hitting 101 mph and tossing five scoreless innings on June 4. He joins a third-place Pirates squad (34-32) that is fighting to stay in the postseason picture. Although currently listed in a long relief depth role on paper, his dominant return confirms he is locked back into a prominent starting spot.
Over his first two starts back, Jones has registered a 4.95 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP, though those inflated ratios are heavily skewed by his initial outing. Our projections expect a strong rest-of-season bounce-back toward a 4.05 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP, aligning nicely with his career 4.21 ERA. Given his elite raw stuff and high strikeout upside, his early-season struggles appear to be a temporary post-injury rust phase.
Jones is scheduled for a single start this week, taking the mound at home on June 10 in a highly challenging matchup against a dangerous Dodgers lineup and Shohei Ohtani. Given the elevated risk as he continues to build back his pitch count, it is best to leave him on your bench. Verdict: Sit.
Updated 10 hrs ago
