The Pittsburgh Pirates are giving Paul Skenes some extra time before he returns to the mound, pushing his next start back three days as the star pitcher works through the roughest stretch of his young MLB career.
Skenes had been scheduled to start Sunday against the Boston Red Sox. Instead, Pirates manager Don Kelly decided to hold the 24-year-old back until Wednesday, when Pittsburgh is scheduled to face the Detroit Tigers.
Skenes indicated Saturday that the decision ultimately belonged to Kelly, but he wasn’t fighting it.
“Ultimately, it was Donny’s decision,” Skenes said following Pittsburgh’s 4-0 loss to Boston.
“But we had talked about it – and like I said after the last start, I’ll have his back on whatever that is. I don’t necessarily disagree with the decision either.”
Skenes Is Suddenly Looking Human
That last sentence is notable considering where Skenes currently finds himself. Since arriving in the majors in 2024, he has become accustomed to overpowering hitters. He won National League Rookie of the Year in 2024 and followed it with the Cy Young Award in 2025.
The 2026 season has been different.
His latest setback came Tuesday against the Miami Marlins, when Skenes lasted only five innings and threw 65 pitches in a 2-0 defeat. He surrendered a home run and an RBI single before his night ended.
More concerning than the final score was what the radar gun showed.
Skenes’ fastball topped out at 96.5 mph, for a pitcher whose velocity has been one of his defining weapons, which represents a significant change. During the previous season, he reached 99 mph or faster 68 times.
The Miami outing also marked the third time this season that Skenes has been removed after throwing 65 pitches or fewer.
Naturally, the combination of diminished velocity, shorter outings and uneven results has fueled questions about what is happening with Pittsburgh’s ace.
Questions Grow Over Skenes’ Mechanics and Workload
Former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling has suggested mechanics could be contributing to the problem. He has also pointed toward Skenes’ early-season workload at the World Baseball Classic, where the former Air Force cadet represented the United States.
Kelly has offered another possibility: Skenes may be dealing with the burden of expectations created by his extraordinary first two seasons. When a pitcher begins his career with a Rookie of the Year award, and then a Cy Young, an ordinary stretch can suddenly look alarming.
Some fans have gone further, wondering whether an undisclosed injury could explain the decline in velocity and performance. Given the demands placed on elite pitchers, fears have inevitably included an elbow problem and Tommy John surgery, a procedure that can require roughly 18 months of recovery.
No one has confirmed that Skenes is injured.
A source who spoke exclusively to reporters also pushed back against the injury speculation.
“Paul’s recent troubles have been happening for several reasons, but if injury is one, then both Paul and the team are very tight-lipped and keeping any of that information a secret,” the insider said.
“But most are thinking he isn’t hurt because if he was, either himself or the Pirates would have shut him down to protect him for the future.”
All Eyes Turn to Wednesday Against Detroit
Skenes also attracted attention away from baseball this week when he was photographed in Florida with girlfriend Livvy Dunne. Online commenters mocked his physique, creating another distraction around a pitcher already facing plenty of scrutiny over his performance.
For Pittsburgh, however, the important issue is what happens the next time Skenes takes the ball.
Rather than sending him out against Boston on his normal schedule, the Pirates have created a few additional days between starts. No shutdown has been announced, and no injury has been confirmed. Skenes himself says he does not necessarily disagree with Kelly’s decision.
Now Wednesday’s scheduled appearance against Detroit becomes the next test: not only of Skenes’ results, but of whether the velocity and dominance that defined his first two MLB seasons begin to return.
