Pirates manager Derek Shelton says Jarrett Jones is expected to miss at least two weeks

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Jarrett Jones was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday with a right latitudinal injury, but manager Derek Shelton told reporters ahead of Friday’s series opener against the New York Mets that the right-hander will likely be out for more than two weeks.

Shelton said Jones will likely be out for two weeks, after which the Pirates will re-evaluate him before deciding on any further action.

A stint on the 15-day injured list will allow Jones to play through the All-Star break, but he likely won’t be able to return until late July or early August if he’s to regain his fitness after resting.

Jones was removed after five innings as the starter on Wednesday, a move many speculate was for load-management reasons. The Pirates monitored the rookie’s pitches and innings and allowed him to skip his final start in the rotation (scheduled for June 28) to rest. Jones took practice batting practice during his 10-day rest period.

After Jones’ start against the Cardinals, Shelton said he was “being too cautious” and removed him after the rookie had given up one run, four hits, two walks and five strikeouts over 78 pitches.

Jones acknowledged he felt tightness in his right lat muscle and was substituted after notifying a trainer, but insisted there was “nothing to be concerned about.”

Jones has a 3.56 ERA (10th among rookie starting pitchers) in 16 starts this season, striking out 98 batters in 91 innings and posting a 5-6 record.

Despite a 41-45 record going into Friday’s game, the Pirates are four games out of the final wild-card playoff spot in the National League (though there are four teams ahead of them in the standings).