"Paul Skenes and Jared Jones could be Fred Lynn and Jim Rice"- MLB broadcaster draws parallels between Pirates duo and 1975 Red Sox legends

The Pittsburgh Pirates' starting duo of Paul Skenes and Jared Jones have dominated the first half of the 2024 season. Recently, MLB broadcaster Brian Kenny even compared the duo with the legendary 1975 Boston Red Sox duo of Fred Lynn and Jim Rice.

Skenes and Jones are already gaining traction with MLB pundits who have developed high hopes for their post-All-Star break performance. Brian mentioned that fans could be seeing the reiteration of the 1975 season happening right now.

"There is no pitching equivalent to Fred Lynn and Jim Rice. Two super rookies at the same time, the Red Sox 1975 had the MVP, that's Fred Lynn and the Rookie of the Year and they had Jim Rice breaking in the same year. Jared Jones and Paul Skinner to me ,could be Fred Lynn and Jim Rice," Kenny said on 'MLB Network'.

For the most part, the Pittsburgh Pirates tried to give Paul Skenes and Jared Jones alternate starts, however, things soon changed when Jones ended up on the injured list due to a right last strain. So, as of now, Skenes's workload will become a bit more till Jones makes his return from rehab.

Jared Jones will pitch again in 2024 season

Starting pitcher Jared Jones has encountered a hurdle amidst his great rookie campaign. He got placed on the injured list on July 4 with a right lat strain. Jones will subsequently undergo rehabilitation in Bradenton, Florida.

However, General Manager Ben Cherington offered positive news, as he expressed confidence in Jones' return this season.

"It will be a little bit of time [before he returns]," Cherington said. "He will start throwing pretty soon coming out of the All-Star break. He’ll get built back up [in Florida]. Our expectation is that he is back starting games for us in the major leagues as we keep playing this thing and we get into August and September."

Despite a 5-6 record, his 3.56 ERA demonstrates his ability to control the game. Jones racked up 98 strikeouts in just 91 innings pitched so far, which proves his dominance on the mound.

On July 4, he left the field in an ambulance after his start against the St. Louis Cardinals. Before getting pulled from the game, he delivered two walks with five strikeouts, one run and four hits in 78 pitches.

After the game, Jones assured fans that it was nothing serious. However, he could take longer than the initially expected 15 days to fully recover before getting back on the mound.