It’s been nearly a year since Pirates fans last caught a glimpse of Jared Jones lighting up the radar gun. The promising starter sprained his UCL during spring training last year and has been on the long road to recovery ever since.
This week, though, Jones took a major step forward by throwing off a mound for the first time since undergoing elbow surgery in May. Now the Pirates can dream about one of the best rotations they’ve had in decades.
Estimates for Jones’ recovery could have put his return to big-league action in the middle of the season, but several promising updates indicate that he could be ready closer to 10 months than 12.