Pirates Delay Paul Skenes' Next Start to Wednesday

The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced that ace pitcher Paul Skenes will not take the mound as scheduled on Sunday. Instead, manager Don Kelly confirmed that Skenes' next start will be pushed back to Wednesday.

Skenes himself expressed agreement with the decision to delay his start. While the team is not labeling this as an injury issue, there have been noticeable concerns regarding his performance this season.

In his last outing against Miami, Skenes threw only 65 pitches over five innings, allowing two runs—one earned—on five hits while recording four strikeouts. His average fastball velocity during that game was 95.7 mph, marking the lowest of his career and significantly below his season average.

This decline in velocity has raised alarms, as Skenes averaged 96.8 mph on his four-seam fastball this season, down from 98.2 mph last year and 98.8 mph during his rookie campaign. Kelly noted that the primary issue is Skenes' command, indicating that he must adapt as hitters adjust to his pitching.

Since early May, Skenes' performance has declined sharply, with a 5.00 ERA over his last 16 starts compared to a 1.98 ERA earlier in the season. The Pirates have struggled during this stretch, holding a 3-13 record and currently sitting in last place in the National League Central, 6.5 games out of the wild card race.