The Pittsburgh Pirates have a pitching decision coming fast after Jared Jones completed his fifth rehab assignment Sunday for Triple-A Indianapolis and became eligible to come off the 60-day injured list. At the same time, rookie Bubba Chandler is forcing the club to weigh whether his next step should come in the rotation, the bullpen or back in Triple-A.
Jones has been working back from right elbow surgery last May, and his return adds another layer to a staff that still has to sort out roles. Chandler started Wednesday's 10-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs and gave up four runs on eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts in five innings, throwing 91 pitches in a night that started with 32 pitches in the first inning and ended with 60 strikes. His season ERA is 4.85 after the outing.
The numbers help explain why the Pirates are not rushing to a simple answer. Chandler also showed the upside that has kept him in the conversation when he struck out a career-high 11 batters Friday night in Toronto against the Blue Jays, allowing no earned runs in five innings. But consistency has been hard to find, and manager Don Kelly said the club will take everything into account before settling on a plan, with a final answer possible as early as Thursday.
Kelly called the coming decision one of several tough calls ahead for the staff. He said the Pirates will sit down, beat it up a little more and come to a final answer while considering everything, including Chandler's outing against the Cubs. He also pointed to the energy Chandler brings, saying there is electricity in him and that he is a young pitcher trying to navigate the big leagues and figure it out.
The contrast is clear. Chandler can miss bats in a way few young pitchers can, but he has also had learning moments that have shown up in his results. Kelly said Chandler has been hard on himself and that the key is finding a way to slow things down so his talent can play in the strike zone. That could mean another look in Triple-A or a move to a bulk role out of the bullpen, a job he knows from when he was first called up last season.
Jones' timeline gives the Pirates another option, but not an easy one. He has been on the 60-day injured list since surgery and is now ready for a decision that could reshape the rotation or create a different kind of opening elsewhere on the staff. For a team trying to balance immediate production with long-term development, Thursday could bring the first real answer.
