Pirates relievers are making it obvious who won’t survive Jared Jones return

The Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t need another data point on José Urquidy. Monday night against the Washington Nationals, they got one anyway.

After Paul Skenes handed the game over with a comfortable lead, Urquidy entered in the seventh inning against the Nationals with what should have been the safest assignment a reliever can get: protect a 14-run cushion, throw strikes, get outs, go home.

Instead, he turned it into a stress test. Four earned runs. Six hits. Loud contact. Traffic everywhere.

The final score — 16-5 — says blowout. The inning itself said something else entirely. It said this bullpen decision is already being made for the Pirates.

At some point, you stop talking about small sample size and start acknowledging reality. Urquidy now sits at an 8.53 ERA with a 2.68 WHIP across just 6.1 innings. That’s not bad luck — that’s an inability to miss bats, limit contact, or escape innings. The margin for error simply doesn’t exist.

He's not alone, either. Justin Lawrence has been right there with him: a 9.82 ERA and 1.91 WHIP in 7.1 innings. Different style, same result — too many baserunners, not enough outs, and no real confidence when the ball leaves the manager’s hand.

For a team trying to prove it’s turning a corner in 2026, these aren’t developmental struggles. These are roster liabilities.

Jared Jones' impending return places pressure on Pirates to cut bait with struggling relievers

Manager Don Kelly didn’t leave much ambiguity this week: Jared Jones is targeting a return in “late May, early June” after internal brace surgery.

He’s already throwing bullpens. A rehab assignment is coming soon, which means this isn’t a theoretical roster crunch anymore — it’s a deadline. Someone is losing a spot. And if the Pirates are serious about competing, the decision shouldn’t be even remotely complicated.

Urquidy’s outing Monday was revealing. There’s no putaway pitch right now. Hitters aren’t uncomfortable. Even with a massive lead, there was no sense of control over the inning. That matters, because bullpen roles aren’t built on ERA alone — they’re built on trust. Right now, there isn’t any.

And Lawrence? The same story in a different package. When you’re carrying two relievers who consistently put you one swing away from chaos, you’re not building depth — you’re inviting volatility.

The Pirates don’t need to overthink this. There are healthier, more effective options in Triple-A. Mike Clevinger is already in the organization and stretched out. Other arms are performing and waiting.

This is the part of a competitive cycle where sentiment can’t outweigh production. If a move needs to be made when Jones returns, fine. But the truth is, the Pirates don’t need to wait that long.

Urquidy has already made his case. So has Lawrence. And if Monday proved anything, it’s that even a 14-run lead isn’t enough to hide what’s becoming increasingly obvious:

When Jared Jones is ready, the Pirates won’t just have a decision to make. They’ll have two names already circled.