Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, battling another dip in his fastball velocity, was lifted after just 65 pitches in Tuesday's loss to the Miami Marlins, leading to further speculation about the health status of the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner.
Pirates manager Don Kelly insisted that Skenes' early exit "wasn't injury-related," saying he lifted the All-Star before the start of the sixth inning because he "thought it gave us the best chance to win."
Skenes said he understood Kelly's quick hook, adding that he did not plead to stay in the game and quipping "if I were the manager, I'd probably do it, too."
"[Kelly] walked me through everything, and it made sense," Skenes said. "I wish I could have gone more, but it kinda is what it is."
Skenes (9-11) allowed two runs -- one earned -- on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts, tied for his second-lowest total this season in a start lasting at least five innings. It was his lowest pitch total since a 64-pitch outing against the Tampa Bay Rays in April, when he was pulled after four innings because of a lengthy weather delay.
"He's the manager, and I don't ever argue with it," Skenes said. "Like I said, I understand why."
Skenes fell to 3-4 in his last nine starts and has a 5.79 ERA over that stretch. His prolonged struggles have been marked by an uncharacteristic dip in velocity; Skenes' average fastball velocity this season is 96.8 mph, down from 98.1 mph last season and 98.8 mph in 2024.
That lack of velocity again was on display Tuesday in Miami, where Skenes averaged a career-low 95.7 mph on his fastball and did not throw a single pitch harder than 97 mph. He also induced just four misses on 34 swings for a 12% whiff rate, the lowest single-game mark of his career.
Neither Skenes nor Kelly directly addressed the drop in velocity, but the three-time All-Star mentioned some "changes" in his routine and acknowledged pitch "volume" as a possible reason for his recent struggles.
"I know the innings total isn't super high right now," said Skenes, who has a 3.88 ERA in 134⅔ innings this season. "I think I've probably had more 30- to 35-pitch innings this year than I have probably in the last two years combined, so that doesn't help either. It's still volume, even if it doesn't show up on the innings total. That's probably part of it, too."
"It's tough," Kelly said. "Everybody is going through it. We need to keep grinding and find a way. It's frustrating for everybody. When you're going out there and battling for something, there is different pressure."