Paul Skenes of the Pirates is not right, both in mechanics and confidence, and Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly knows it. So, when Skenes arrived at PNC Park Saturday, after throwing a full bullpen session Friday in anticipation of his regular turn Sunday, Kelly told him he was delaying his start until Wednesday, giving him three more days of “recovery.”
The concern is obvious. Kelly pulled Skenes from his last start after five innings and only 65 pitches because Skenes was spraying his fastball and the life on his pitches was clearly missing. Skenes averaged just 95.7 mph on his four-seamer in that game in Miami, easily a career low. It was a new bottom to a two-month slump in which Skenes is 3-6 with a 5.01 ERA, the worst stretch of pitching in his life.
