Pirates’ Jones out with sprained UCL

Less than 24 hours before the Pittsburgh Pirates begin the season at the Miami Marlins, the club offered clarity on what had emerged as the biggest question of spring training: a prognosis on Jared Jones.

Per Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk, who spoke with reporters in Miami on Wednesday evening, Jones has a sprained ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing arm. Jones will not throw for six weeks.

The 23-year-old righty was primed to be a key member of the starting rotation after an impressive rookie season last year, but he missed his final start of spring training with elbow discomfort.

On March 19, Tomczyk told reporters the team was seeking a second opinion on Jones, raising concerns he would begin the season on the injured list.

That is indeed the case, which comes as both a blow and relief to the Pirates.

On one hand, they are deprived for the time being of a talented starter whose fastball touches triple digits and who appeared ready to build off a strong debut season in which he went 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA over 22 starts, striking out 132 in 121 2/3 innings.

However, Jones avoided ligament damage as well as any resulting surgeries that could have sidelined him for even longer.

How long the Pirates will be without Jones remains to be seen.

On top of Jones’ six-week halt on throwing, it’s unclear what his ramp-up process will be afterward as well as any likely rehab assignments that will follow.

Manager Derek Shelton already said right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski initially will fill Jones’ spot in the rotation.

Mlodzinski, 26, was a starter collegiately at South Carolina and as recently as 2022 had been utilized as such in the minor leagues with the Double-A Altoona Curve.

But the Pirates transitioned him to a relief role in 2023, with 70 of his 75 MLB appearances to date coming out of the bullpen.

However, Mlodzinski was deployed last season as an “opener” four times, with his longest outing in that role being two innings.

Mlodzinski has also expressed a desire to return to a starter’s role in the big leagues.

He joins Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Bailey Falter and Andrew Heaney to form the Pirates’ Opening Day starting rotation.

Mlodzinski’s elevation to the rotation created a need for an additional bullpen arm.

General manager Ben Cherington, speaking with reporters Wednesday in Miami, indicated lefty Ryan Borucki had earned a spot on the 40-man roster, with 30-year-old righty Peter Strzelecki set to be designated for assignment to make room.

Borucki, 30, missed the majority of last season because of persistent elbow issues but shined in 2023 after being signed to a minor- league deal that May.

Joining the Pirates in mid-June, he posted a 4-0 record, 2.45 ERA and 33 strikeouts with only four walks over 40 1/3 innings, turning into one of the team’s most dependable relievers.

The Pirates extended him a non-roster invitation to spring training, where he returned to form, going 2-0 with a 0.93 ERA over 10 outings.

As for Strzelecki, an acquisition from the Cleveland Guardians for cash last November, struggles were evident this spring, judging by the 7.00 ERA he managed over nine Grapefruit League relief appearances.

In addition to Borucki, the Pirates’ Opening Day bullpen will consist of righties David Bednar, Colin Holderman, Dennis Santana and Justin Lawrence plus lefties Joey Wentz, Tim Mayza and Caleb Ferguson.

Bednar, a two-time All-Star, Holderman and Santana return from last year’s club.

Lawrence (claimed off waivers from Colorado March 3), Ferguson (signed in January to a one-year, $3 million deal), Joey Wentz (claimed off waivers from Detroit last September) and Mayza (one-year, $1.150 million contract signed in January) are first-year players in Pittsburgh.

Cherington said righty reliever Hunter Stratton had not made the Opening Day roster and will be optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. On Sunday, the Pirates added Stratton, who tore the patella tendon in his left knee last August, to the 40man roster.

Ultimately, it did not translate to a big-league role to begin this season for the 28-year-old.

At the time of his injury last year, Stratton was 2-1 with a 3.58 ERA in 36 games. Through 37 2/3 innings, he struck out 33, walked seven and posted a WHIP of 1.17.

On March 22, Stratton had taken the mound for the first time since his injury.

Pitching one inning against the Baltimore Orioles, he struck out a pair.