Pirates’ Jared Jones Faces Career Crossroad with Unexpected Elbow Surgery—What This Means for His Future on the Mound
The exact nature of the procedure—whether it’ll be Tommy John surgery or a less invasive repair like internal brace surgery—is still up in the air, according to Pirates’ top medical man Todd Tomczyk. The team’s got Dr. Keith Meister, a surgeon with a sterling reputation, ready to operate on Jones’ “right elbow/forearm complex.”
Jones didn’t exactly flash the gaudy stats needed to join All-Star ranks or make a splash in award voting, but his rookie year still showed grit—a 4.14 ERA, 6-8 record, and a solid 132 strikeouts over 121 2/3 innings. That said, things took a turn during spring training when Jones wrestled with a sprain in his right ulnar collateral ligament. Initial scans offered relief—the ligament was intact, and surgery wasn’t on the table. Yet, after months of painstaking rehab and gradual progress, discomfort lingered, leading to the difficult decision for Jones to finally opt for surgery after consulting with Dr. Meister.
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