Pirates Push Back Paul Skenes’ Next Start

Don Kelly and the Decision to Rest Paul Skenes

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly announced following a 4-0 loss to the Red Sox that right-hander Paul Skenes would not take the mound in the final matchup of the three-game series at PNC Park. Instead, reliever Lake Bachar was slated to start Sunday’s series finale, pushing Skenes’ next outing to Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers.

Kelly maintained that the adjustment was not injury-related, explaining it simply as an effort to provide the 24-year-old pitcher with extended recovery time. Everyone is dealing with stuff this year, Kelly said, according to reporting from MLB.com. But he’s given us no indication that it’s injury-related.

“We had talked about it when I showed up to the field today. I threw my bullpen and everything yesterday, and was fully anticipating starting tomorrow. So, we talked about it when I showed up at the field. Ultimately, it was Donny’s decision, 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.”

Paul Skenes, Pirates pitcher, via MLB.com

Velocity Drops and the 2026 Season Arc for Skenes

The scheduling shift follows an outing on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins that raised questions among observers. Skenes was pulled after throwing just 65 pitches across five innings, allowing one earned run. During that start, his four-seam fastball averaged 95.7 mph—a career low that sat down more than a tick below his 96.8 mph season average and well off the 98.2 mph mark he sustained during his 2025 campaign.

Skenes acknowledged that the mental grind has presented unique hurdles this season compared to his first two dominant years in the majors, where he posted sub-2.00 ERAs. His ERA sits at 3.88 in 2026. While he reported feeling physically no different than in previous years, he recognized the practical benefits of extra downtime.

“It certainly can’t hurt in terms of recovery, and you add recovery in for anybody and that’s going to help. So, kind of wish it weren’t the case that I was starting tomorrow, because that’s something I pride myself on. But in the long run, it’s definitely best to just get some recovery time.”

Paul Skenes, Pirates pitcher, via MLB.com

Rotation Adjustments as Pittsburgh Grinds Through August

By sliding Skenes back to Wednesday, the Pirates move the rest of their rotation back accordingly, granting the ace a full seven days of rest between appearances. Skenes previously pitched on seven days’ rest following the All-Star break, turning in seven innings of one-run ball against the Cleveland Guardians while touching 96.7 mph with his fastball.

Pittsburgh entered Sunday’s action at 60-65, sitting five games under .500 as the season enters its final stretch. Skenes noted that fatigue and wear are universal constants across a 162-game schedule. I think going through a full Major League season and not dealing with stuff, I don’t know if there’s ever been somebody who’s done that, he observed. So everybody’s tired. Everybody’s grinding, and we just got to keep going.