Jared Jones Throws 97-98 MPH in Rehab; Harbin Delay Reshapes Triple-A Plans

Jared Jones threw his first live batting practice since undergoing a UCL repair with an internal brace on May 21, 2025, and hitters who faced him said the heater was back. Nick Yorke reported Jones was "pumping 97, 98 [miles per hour]" in that outing, which LancasterOnline and LNP identified as a key checkpoint in a rehab that the Pirates are sequencing toward a roughly 12-month target.

Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk called the progress encouraging at his first weekly medical briefing. "He’s coming out really good," Tomczyk said, adding that Jones is "meeting all the benchmarks of the rehab, recovering well. He's in that live BP phase of the rehab. He’s nine months post‑surgery." The club placed Jones on the 60-day injured list when it made José Urquidy’s signing official earlier this month, and team staff note the procedural timing means Jones could be eligible to return as that IL window expires around May 25.

The organization plans a stepwise ramp: additional live batting practices, bullpen sessions, sim games and then minor-league rehab innings before any activation. Tomczyk cautioned the staff wants to see the next stages play out. "I wish I could have a more definitive answer for you... the group really wanted to see how the live BP went to see what the next steps are, whether it’s another live BP, whether it’s a bullpen and rehab assignment. He’s definitely going to need some type of rehab innings. I don’t know what or how many," Tomczyk said to reporters.

Jones’ 2024 debut underlines why the club is willing to be patient. MLB Trade Rumors summarized his rookie line at a 4.14 ERA across 121 2/3 innings with a 26.2 percent strikeout rate and a 7.7 percent walk rate. Rumbunter and Sports Illustrated have both emphasized his raw stuff, an upper-90s fastball and a biting slider, and Rumbunter wrote that "His power arsenal - the upper‑90s fastball, the biting slider - changes the ceiling of this staff."

That potential ceiling matters to Triple‑A and big-league roster construction. MLBTR’s notebook lists Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller as rotation anchors with depth pieces such as Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler, José Urquidy, Hunter Barco and Thomas Harrington in the mix. Rumbunter noted that getting Jones back by late May could let the Pirates add a frontline-caliber arm without making a trade, and manager Don Kelly reiterated a cautious timetable: "Going into it, the target was May‑June, somewhere in there... Just want to make sure that he continues on that track, where it’s not rushed, that we have a full Jared Jones when he comes back to be able to deploy him. He’s throwing the ball really well."

Depth questions extend beyond Jones. MLBTR reported non-roster outfielder Ronny Simón had shoulder surgery and should be ready late March or early April, while the Tribune noted lefty reliever Ryan Borucki suffered a rehab setback and Johan Oviedo is throwing from 105 feet as he continues recovery. Those concurrent recoveries, combined with Jones’ staged ramp and his late‑May eligibility, are already reshaping how the Pirates will staff Triple‑A innings and plan bullpen callups through early summer.