Paul Skeens has been granted some time off.
The Pirates have opted to push back Skeens’ next start by three days, focusing on giving their star pitcher some extra rest during what has been a tough stretch in his career.
Earlier this week, the three-time All-Star was seen enjoying a beach day in Miami with his girlfriend, Libby Dunn. He was initially set to pitch on Sunday against the Red Sox.
Instead, he will take the mound on Wednesday against the Tigers, as confirmed by manager Don Kelly on Saturday, who stressed that this decision wasn’t due to any injuries.
“Ultimately, it was Donnie’s decision,” Skeens mentioned to reporters after Saturday’s 4-0 defeat to Boston. “But we discussed it, and as I said after my last start, I’ll support whatever he decides. I don’t really disagree with this choice either.”
The decision followed a disappointing performance for Skeens just four days prior, where he struggled during a game against the Marlins at Yoandepo Park.
He managed to pitch only five innings, throwing a mere 65 pitches before exiting the game with a 2-0 loss.
During that game, Skeens did hit a solo home run in the third inning and also contributed with two runs and an RBI in the fifth inning.
However, it’s notable that during Tuesday’s game, he didn’t throw a fastball exceeding 96.5 mph. In 2025, he had reached speeds of at least 99 mph on his fastball 68 times.
This marked the third occurrence this season where he has thrown 65 pitches or fewer, a figure he achieved only twice in his first two major league seasons.
This year, the Pirates haven’t seen the Cy Young Award winner perform at his peak.
With a 3.88 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP, and averaging only five innings per start in August, Skeens has clearly not met the expectations set for his third season.
His fastball average, which was 98.2 mph last year, has also decreased to 96.9 mph this season.
“If I were the manager, I would definitely do that,” Skens commented after the game on Tuesday, noting that everything the manager explained made sense. “I wish I could have gone longer, but it is what it is.”
The Pirates (60-65) are set to face Boston in a decisive game on Sunday at 1:35 p.m.
