Pittsburgh Pirates pull Paul Skenes early amid fastball velocity drop
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes was withdrawn after just 65 pitches during Tuesday’s defeat by the Miami Marlins following another concerning drop in his fastball velocity.
Manager Don Kelly insisted the early exit for the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner was a tactical decision rather than an injury-related precaution.
“[Kelly] walked me through everything, and it made sense,” Skenes said.
The three-time All-Star accepted the quick hook before the sixth inning and admitted he would likely have made the same managerial call.
Diminishing fastball speed
The right-hander allowed two runs on five hits while striking out four batters during his truncated start in Florida.
This outing highlighted a prolonged struggle with pitching speed, as the standout pitcher failed to throw a single pitch harder than 97 mph against Miami.
His declining average fastball velocity reveals a concerning downward trajectory over recent campaigns:
- 2024 season: 98.8 mph
- Last season: 98.1 mph
- Current season: 96.8 mph
The latest performance also yielded a career-low 12% whiff rate, further amplifying external speculation regarding his overall physical condition.
Mounting workload concerns
While neither player nor manager directly addressed the statistical drop in speed, the American acknowledged that high-stress innings could be contributing to his recent fatigue.
“I think I’ve probably had more 30- to 35-pitch innings this year than I have probably in the last two years combined,” Skenes explained.
The defeat drops his seasonal record to 9-11 and continues a difficult nine-start stretch where he has compiled an inflated 5.79 ERA.
“We need to keep grinding and find a way, it’s frustrating for everybody,” Kelly concluded.