Jones (elbow) began a throwing program Wednesday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

EDGE Analysis

Jones had been shut down since mid-March following a diagnosis of a UCL sprain in his right elbow. It's the beginning of what will be a lengthy throwing progression for the young right-hander, as he will be building back up from scratch. A timetable for Jones' return to the Pirates' rotation likely won't be available for several weeks, even if all goes well.

Jones (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Monday, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

This move is unrelated to Jones' timetable for a return, as the club already announced that the right-hander is likely out until June. The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Alexander Canario, who was acquired from the Mets earlier Monday in exchange for cash considerations.

The Pirates placed Jones on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a right elbow UCL sprain, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Jones has damage to his UCL but will attempt to rest and rehab the injury. He will be shut down from throwing for six weeks before ramping things back up. The righty will be a candidate to be shifted to the 60-day injured list when/if the Pirates need a roster spot, as it's unlikely he'll be back before June.

Jones was diagnosed with a UCL sprain to the right elbow Wednesday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Pirates initially announced the injury as soreness, but Todd Tomcyzk, the team's director of sports medicine, announced the formal diagnosis. He further elaborated that the ligament is stable, which has allowed Jones to avoid surgery for the time being. The announcement doesn't appear to change Jones' timeline to return, though there's a chance he will begin a two-handed plyo program in roughly three weeks.

Jones (elbow) has no torn ligaments and will not need surgery, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

EDGE Analysis

Jones went down with elbow discomfort Wednesday and had to forgo his final spring training start. It was feared that the righty was going to require surgery after it was reported he was seeking a second opinion on his elbow. While he will not require surgery, the 23-year-old will go six weeks without throwing.

Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Jones has already had imaging on his sore right elbow and is waiting on a second opinion, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

A second opinion on an injury typically isn't sought out if the first opinion is favorable, so the news is less than ideal. However, Tomczyk added that "I don't want to be an alarmist" and was quick to point out that the team is still in the information-gathering stage. Jones will not pitch again during spring training and a stint on the injured list is highly likely, but the bigger concern here is if the right-hander needs surgery. More on Jones' status should be known in the coming days.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Wednesday that Jones experienced elbow discomfort during his most recent bullpen session and won't be able to make his final Grapefruit League start later this week, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

EDGE Analysis

Shelton said that the Pirates will have internal conversations regarding when Jones will be able to make his first start of the season, but given that elbow discomfort can often foreshadow a more significant injury, the young right-hander would seem at high risk of landing on the injured list. Before a decision is made on Jones' next steps, the Pirates will presumably wait and see how his elbow responds to a few days of rest. If Jones is shelved to begin the season, the Pirates could open up a spot in the rotation for prospect Thomas Harrington, who wasn't expected to break camp with the big club but excelled in his first Grapefruit League start Tuesday.

Jones threw five sinkers during his first spring training start Tuesday, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

EDGE Analysis

Jones threw 27 total pitches across two scoreless innings while striking out three. During the impressive outing, Jones debuted a new two-seamer with sinking action. He has yet to commit to using the pitch during the regular season, though continuing to develop the offering appears to be a priority this spring.

Jones has worked on a two-seam fastball this offseason and will test the pitch in spring training games, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Jones had a breakout 2024 season, but his 1.3 HR/9 was a blemish in his skills profile. Like teammate Paul Skenes, Jones is working on a pitch with sinking action in an attempt to keep the ball in the yard more effectively. That could also hurt his potential strikeout upside, though he didn't commit to using it in the regular season.

The Pirates optioned Jones to the Florida Complex League on Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

Jones' season was already over after he made his final start of the season Friday, so the Pirates will simply send him to their complex in Florida to finish the season, opening up a roster spot for Mike Burrows in the process. The 23-year-old Jones will finish his rookie campaign with a 4.14 ERA and 1.19 WHIP alongside a 132:39 K:BB across 22 starts.