Pirates to Be Cautious With Paul Skenes
With the Pittsburgh Pirates' playoff hopes all but vanquished, they're beginning to turn their sights toward 2025 and beyond.
At the centerpiece of the Pirates' future is rookie phenom and right-handed flamethrower Paul Skenes. The towering 6-foot-6 right-hander has already surpassed the lofty expectations placed upon him since he was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, but with the Pirates falling out of the playoff race, Skenes' first season will soon begin winding down.
Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton spoke about the team's plans with Skenes for the rest of the season. Among the team's approach to being careful with their budding ace will be giving him extra rest
“I think there’s different ways to look at it and, again, we’re going to be thoughtful about his [starts] over the next five, six weeks,” Shelton said on 93.7 The Fan. “There is no immediate plan to shut him down, there has never been any immediate plans to shut him down. How we monitor that, whether it’s an innings limit or a workload limit per game, we’ll be thoughtful about that.”
Including his brief stint in Triple-A Indianapolis, Skenes has pitched 131.1 innings this season, surpassing 122.2 innings pitched in his final season at LSU in 2023. Across his 17 starts in the big leagues, Skenes is 8-2 with a 2.16 ERA and has struck out 130 batters in 104 innings pitched.
The rookie right-hander returned to form on Thursday, pitching six shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out nine batters in Pittsburgh's 7-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park.
Shelton also noted how unique it is for a pitcher to go from pitching in college to the big leagues in a one-year span. The challenges that come with acclimating to being in the big leagues are also part of the team's thought process in ensuring Skenes will be good for the long haul.
“What he's doing is something that's very different, it's very special. It's something we also have to be very mindful of. He's learning how to pitch on Aug. 22. He's gonna learn how to pitch in September, all those things. Most guys get the opportunity to do multiple seasons in the minor leagues and he’s not. That's what we have to be mindful of -- what he's done, what he's doing, all those things.”
Skenes' health is imperative to the Pirates being able to compete for playoff spots in the National League for years to come. While the experience he's gaining in his rookie season will undoubtedly help him in the long run, Pittsburgh can't hesitate to do whatever is necessary to ensure its ace of the future is healthy for the rest of this season and beyond.
NATHANIEL MARRERO