​The Pittsburgh Pirates did not let Jared Jones etch his name into the record books on Wednesday night, pulling him after six flawless innings on 77 pitches. Jones cruised through six frames without allowing a baserunner before manager Don Kelly called for the bullpen. In the seventh, Mason Montgomery conceded a single to Ozzie Albies, and Dennis Santana along with Isaac Mattson tumbled in the game, surrendering three runs as the Pirates fell to the Atlanta Braves by a shutout.
Following the game, MLB.com’s Aiden Stepansky relayed Kelly’s reflections on the controversial decision to remove Jones while he was flirting with a perfect game. The Pirates’ skipper explained that his choice was driven by caution rather than ambition, given Jones’s recent injury history. The 24-year-old right-hander had spent more than a year sidelined recovering from an internal brace surgery, only returning to action on May 29. “That sucks,” Kelly admitted about pulling Jones with a perfect game within reach. “Under normal circumstances, a perfect game, he’d continue to go. Coming off of surgery and everything, we just can’t push him.”
The conversation invites readers to share their thoughts and join a growing Pirates community by commenting on the content alongside staff and fellow fans.
Jones entered Wednesday’s game with limited opportunities to reach deeper into ballgames. In seven prior appearances, he had completed no more than five innings in any start, and the Pirates had not allowed him to exceed 81 pitches in a single outing. Against Atlanta, he threw one inning longer than his previous limit, showcasing the potential that had many observers excited about his ceiling this season.
“Health is the most important thing, winning the game and then personal accomplishments third,” Kelly reiterated. “We want these guys to stay healthy because we need Jared for the rest of the season. Throwing the ball like that, trying to push him right now, when he’s only had five ups to go, there’s no way.”
Jones himself left the game without faulting the decision. Postgame, he acknowledged the disappointment of exiting a potential performance, but tempered his frustration with understanding and acceptance. “Yeah, I mean, it does suck; something cool is coming on,” he said of being removed. “But I’m, what, my eighth start off the surgery? I completely understand it. It is what it is.”
As Jones carries a 4.37 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP into his season, the start remains his most encouraging, reinforcing the Pirates’ hope that his late-career return from surgery is on a positive trajectory. The incident underscores a broader theme for Pittsburgh: balancing the pursuit of short-term glory with the long-term health and development of a young ace who could shape the franchise’s fortunes for years to come. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Jones demonstrated the kind of ceiling that has the Pirates excited—an athletic profile capable of dominating in the right circumstances, even if those circumstances must be managed with care.
The conversation surrounding the decision to pull Jones is likely to persist among fans and analysts alike, as the Pirates continue to navigate a season that projects toward both immediate competitiveness and long-term growth. The matchup with Atlanta revealed both the potential Jones possesses and the prudence the coaching staff aims to exercise with a pitcher who could be central to the team’s plans for years to come. In the meantime, Pittsburgh will look for other avenues to secure wins while safeguarding the health of its prized rookie, hoping that each subsequent start carries fewer red flags and more evidence of the talent that has scouts buzzing.