Pirates right-hander Jared Jones experiencing elbow soreness, will miss final start of spring

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced Wednesday morning that right-hander Jared Jones is experiencing right elbow soreness after his most recent bullpen session.

“He’s not going to make his next start in spring training. That’s for sure,” Shelton told reporters in Bradenton, Fla. “I think with that being said, we’re going to have to look at what happens going into the season.”

Jones, 23, was 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 132 strikeouts against 39 walks in 121⅔ innings over 22 starts as a rookie last season. He missed two months with a lat strain before returning in August.

Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk told reporters that Jones had imaging tests done and will seek a second opinion.

Jones was expected to slot into the middle of a starting rotation featuring National League rookie of the year and Opening Day starter Paul Skenes, 2023 All-Star Mitch Keller and left-handers Andrew Heaney and Bailey Falter.

Heaney is scheduled to start Wednesday at the Tampa Bay Rays, with Keller on Friday against Boston in Fort Myers, Skenes on Saturday against Baltimore and Falter on Sundy against Toronto in Dunedin.

Right-hander Thomas Harrington, ranked the Pirates’ No. 3 prospect and No. 79 overall by MLB Pipeline, made his first start of spring training on Tuesday and allowed one run on one hit with one walk with one strikeout in 3⅔ innings against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Pirates also have stretched out a pair of relievers in lefty Caleb Ferguson and righty Carmen Mlodzinski to pitch multiple innings.