PITTSBURGH — Jared Jones‘ impressive spring training has earned him a spot on the Pittsburgh Pirates opening-day roster.
The team announced Monday that the 22-year-old right-handed pitcher made the club, giving the starting rotation a dash of youth.
Jones, a second-round pick by the Pirates in the 2020 amateur draft, will be part of Pittsburgh’s starting rotation when the team opens in Miami on Thursday. Jones, who did not allow a run across 16⅓ innings of Grapefruit League play, is scheduled to make his first major league start on Sunday.
Jones joins a rotation that includes All-Star Mitch Keller, World Series champion Martín Pérez, Marco Gonzales and Luis Ortiz.
The Pirates also will be placing right-handed relievers Ryder Ryan and Hunter Stratton on the roster. Jones, Ryan and Stratton were all non-roster invitees to spring training.
Pittsburgh will start the season with right-handed pitchers Carmen Mlodzinski and Colin Holderman, catcher Yasmani Grandal and infielder/outfielder Ji Hwan Bae on the injured list.
The Pirates optioned right-handed starter Quinn Priester, who made eight starts in the majors last season, to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Pittsburgh also reassigned several players to minor league camp, including former New York Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán, who pitched a perfect game last season, and former Detroit Tigers pitcher Wily Peralta.