Jared Jones of the Pittsburgh Pirates returns from the injured list and will start on Tuesday

The Pittsburgh Pirates have completed rehab for right-handed pitcher Jared Jones and activated the rookie from the 15-day injured list, the team announced Tuesday afternoon.

Jones was placed on the injured list on July 4 after suffering a strained right latissimus dorsi in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals the day before. The injury caused him to miss nearly eight weeks of major league play.

The 23-year-old right-hander made three rehab starts at Triple-A Indianapolis earlier this month. In those three outings, he posted a 4.91 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings, and exceeded expectations with his 5.0 scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts against Columbus on Aug. 20.

Jones is now allowed to return to the Pirates’ active roster. He will face the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

Before being sidelined last month, Jones was 5-6 with a 3.56 ERA, 1.110 WHIP, 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings and a WAR in 16 major league starts.

To make room for Jones on the 26-man roster, the Pirates designated left-handed pitcher Brady Feigl for assignment. Pittsburgh also sent all-around pitcher Ji Hwan Bae to Triple-A Indianapolis so they could bring Jones and right-handed reliever Carmen Mlodzinski off the 15-day injured list.

Jones began the season as the No. 62 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. He then had a dominant spring training performance, throwing 16.1 innings to earn a spot on the Pirates’ opening-game roster.

After Jones made history by collecting strikeouts and avoiding walks for several months, Paul Skenes, the No. 1 pick in 2023, was also added to Pittsburgh’s major league rotation. Mitch Keller may have signed a long-term contract extension before the season to serve as the Pirates’ ace, but the franchise suddenly had a two-headed rookie monster of Jones and Skenes who was making waves in his own right.

During Jones’ absence, Skenes emerged as the leading candidate for NL Rookie of the Year, but now Pittsburgh should be fit for the home stretch with both of them.

The first pitch in Jones’ return against the Cubs is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET. Jones is 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA in two starts against Chicago this season.

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