This afternoon, Paul Skenes was back on the mound. The pitcher had been given a few extra days of rest following his last start, which took place on August 11.<\/p>\n
As a reminder, he had been pulled from that game after just 65 pitches.<\/p>\n
So the question was whether the rest would help Skenes\u2026 and in the end, it didn't really. He finished his outing with just 4.1 innings pitched and 81 pitches.<\/p>\n
During that time, he allowed four hits, four walks (he was struggling with his control), and three earned runs.<\/p>\n
As for his fastball velocity, it didn't really change: it averaged 96.8 miles per hour. That's slightly better than his last start, but it's no different from what he's been doing since the start of the year.<\/p>\n
Paul Skenes in his first start since getting extra rest:<\/p>\n
. Average fastball velocity was 96.8, which matches his season average pic.twitter.com\/Vzv2GP65bK<\/p>\n
\u2014 Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 19, 2026<\/p>\n
One wonders if Skenes, who is certainly not having a great season, will pitch again when his turn comes up in the rotation. The extra rest doesn't seem to have helped, and the Pirates are slipping further and further away from a playoff spot.<\/p>\n
Is another rest day on the horizon? It's far from impossible.<\/p>\n
It's worth noting, however, that Skenes showed some promising flashes today. His fourth inning was solid, as he recorded two strikeouts.<\/p>\n
Paul Skenes, 2 Ks in the 4th pic.twitter.com\/7RcFlDghDj<\/p>\n
\u2014 Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 19, 2026<\/p>\n
But obviously, for a guy who was considered the best pitcher in the world before the season started, it'll take more than a good inning here and there to truly put everyone's minds at ease. There's still concern about Skenes, and another mediocre start today only adds to it.<\/p>\n