Pirates right-hander Jared Jones was pulled from his start on Sunday after three innings. He was struck in the right elbow by a line drive from Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield. Third baseman Nick Gonzales fielded the ricochet to record the final out of the frame. Yohan Ramirez took the mound in the fourth inning.
While any elbow injury is worrisome, this one doesn’t seem overly serious. Initial imaging on Jones’ elbow came back negative, the team announced. He’ll undergo an additional examination on Monday back in Pittsburgh.
Jones was off to a decent start in Coors Field, striking out three and allowing just one hit. He ran into some trouble in the second inning, but escaped a bases-loaded, no-outs jam with only one run scoring. Sunday’s outing was his fifth start since returning from Tommy John surgery. He’s maxed out at 77 pitches and completed five innings just once. The hard-throwing righty did lower his ERA to 5.75 after today’s abbreviated appearance.
The Pirates received other notable injury updates today via general manager Ben Cherington on his weekly radio show. Cherington said shortstop Konnor Griffin is making progress and could start a rehab assignment by the end of next week (h/t to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). The standout rookie has been on the injured list for all of June with an elbow strain.
Griffin has been a league-average bat in his first taste of the majors, which is impressive considering he debuted as a 19-year-old. He’s hit four home runs and stolen 14 bases. An .820 OPS in May had Griffin seeing opportunities higher in the lineup before the injury.
Utilityman Jared Triolo has taken over at shortstop with Griffin sidelined. He’s slashing just .231/.344/.288 in June, heading into Sunday. Triolo has been a neutral defender at shortstop this year. Griffin, who’s accrued 3 Defensive Runs Saved, will be an obvious upgrade on both sides of the ball when he’s ready to return.
The news for Oneil Cruz wasn’t as positive. The outfielder has yet to resume baseball activities, Cherington said. He’s dealing with multiple fractures in his hand. Cruz has been out for about two weeks. He has a meeting with Pittsburgh’s medical staff tomorrow to clarify his recovery timeline.
It’s been mostly Jake Mangum in center field with Cruz out. The offseason trade acquisition is enjoying his best month as a Pirate, hitting .346 with five steals in June entering Sunday. Mangum might be better suited for a corner outfield spot, as he’s recorded -2 DRS in 125 innings in center field, but the Pirates have grown accustomed to subpar defense at the position (Cruz has posted -26 DRS over the past three seasons).
Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images
