Jared Jones’ impending return could force Pirates into uncomfortable rotation compromise

A year ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates would’ve killed to have this kind of problem.

Now? Jared Jones’ impending return from injury could force them into one of the most uncomfortable decisions of their season.

After completing a second minor league rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Indianapolis, Jones is still tracking toward a late May or June return. Jones underwent internal brace surgery last year, and the Pirates have already hinted they’ll be cautious with his workload — an important reminder that the current pitching picture isn’t as simple as “plug him back into the rotation and move on.”

Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette projects that the Pirates will ultimately shift Carmen Mlodzinski back into a multi-inning bullpen role once Jones is ready, and it makes sense on paper. Mlodzinski has already shown value as a bulk reliever, he’s struggled turning lineups over multiple times, and the Pirates clearly trust him in flexible situations.

But the reality is more complicated than simply demoting the weakest arm in the rotation. In addition to thinking about who deserves a rotation spot right now, the Pirates also must consider how they are going to survive six months with one of the youngest, least experienced pitching staffs in baseball.

After another successful rehab start, questions persist about Jared Jones' fit in Pirates rotation

Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller are the only starters on this staff with the experience of navigating a full major league season workload. Bubba Chandler is already battling command issues. Jones is returning from surgery. Braxton Ashcraft is still relatively inexperienced himself. Even Mlodzinski has never handled this kind of workload before.

That’s why a six-man rotation keeps surfacing, even if the Pirates clearly don’t love the idea.

The problem is that six-man rotations sound cleaner in theory than they work in practice. Teams worry constantly about disrupting routines for established starters, and the Pirates almost certainly do not want to tinker with Skenes and Keller’s schedules while both are pitching well. Modern aces are creatures of habit, and forcing extra rest can sometimes create more problems than it solves.

At the same time, Pittsburgh may not have the luxury of thinking traditionally. They have already embraced unconventional pitching usage under Don Kelly. They’ve used openers, piggyback starts, bullpen games and carefully monitored pitch counts all season long. Asking Jones and Mlodzinski to essentially share a rotation lane for a few weeks honestly feels very on-brand for how this organization is currently operating.

Maybe that’s the compromise. Not a permanent six-man rotation or a full bullpen demotion, but a fluid arrangement where Jones gradually builds innings while Mlodzinski bounces between starting and bulk relief depending on matchups and workload concerns.

It may not be clean, and it may frustrate fans who want clearly defined roles. But for a Pirates team trying to protect young arms while also staying competitive, “creative” might be the only realistic way to go.

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