Jared Jones is experiencing elbow discomfort, Derek Shelton said Wednesday morning at LECOM Park, and will miss his final spring start.

Jones reported to staff after his most recent bullpen Sunday that he wasn't recovering like he would hope. Todd Tomczyk said the Pirates are in the process of learning as much as they can about the situation.

"He just wasn’t recovering as we would like him to, he would like himself to," Tomczyk said this morning. "He informed the medical staff, we took the next steps, and performed some imaging and we are now waiting and learning more for a second opinion. So, we’re still in the process of learning as much as we possibly can. We don’t have an official diagnosis, don’t have an official prognosis at this time, so we’re still in the early learning stages of this for Jared."

Jones was originally set to throw a simulated game at Pirate City last Thursday, but started against the Twins in Fort Myers, Fla. after Bailey Falter was scratched due to "general soreness." Jones threw 64 pitches in 4 1/3 innings, allowed three hits, one earned run and gave up two walks while striking out four. The 23-year-old right hander has started four games and pitched 12 innings this spring. He's recorded a 2.24 ERA with 17 strikeouts while walking six.

Tomczyk said they are now in a holding pattern as they wait for results and hope to have some type of resolution in the next few days. However, he stressed that this is normal protocol when a pitcher reports any concerns.

"We want to be thorough, we want to be comprehensive, I don’t want to be an alarmist at this point in time," Tomczyk said. "I want to emphasize that we are still learning as much as we possibly can as we’ve done over the years, as you’ve seen. It’s a collaborative approach with player, with second opinions, with staff physicians. We’re still learning."

While Tomczyk was precautionary of when Jones will throw again, saying it's simply "too early to tell" as they learn more, Shelton said that Jones will not start again this spring.

"He's not going to make his next start in spring training. That's for sure," Shelton said. "I think, with that being said, we're going to have to look at what happens going into the season." 

Jones is a key piece of the Pirates' rotation after breaking onto the opening day roster as a rookie last season. He went on to record a 4.14 ERA in 121 2/3 innings of work with 132 strikes. He earned a 6-8 record in 22 starts.

This could open the door for Jones' locker mate, Thomas Harrington, who still remains in big-league camp despite Bubba Chandler, Mike Burrows and Braxton Ashcraft being reassigned to minor-league camp. Harrington made his first start of the spring yesterday and threw 3 2/3 innings, allowed one hit, one home run, one walk and struck out three.