Ben Cherington finds new excuse for Paul Skenes’ concerning slide

Ben Cherington keeps insisting there is nothing physically wrong with Paul Skenes. Maybe he’s right, but that doesn't mean everything is fine.

Skenes’ fastball velocity is down, his stuff hasn't looked nearly as explosive, and the Pirates just pushed his next start back several days to give him more recovery time. Calling it fatigue instead of injury is an important distinction medically, but it hardly makes the situation any less concerning.

What makes it more frustrating is Cherington’s latest attempt to explain where that fatigue might be coming from.

Speaking Sunday on his team-produced weekly radio show, Cherington traced Skenes’ workload all the way back to the 2023 College World Series with LSU.

“Given everything [Skenes] has accomplished, like other elite starting pitchers before him, there are gonna be stretches where he’s just grinding a little bit more,” Cherington said.

Technically, sure. Skenes has thrown a lot of high-intensity innings since college. But blaming a tournament from three years ago for the fatigue he is experiencing now somehow manages to be even less convincing than Cherington previously pointing toward Skenes’ participation in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Ben Cherington blaming 2023 College World Series for Paul Skenes' 2026 struggles completely misses the mark

At some point, the Pirates have to stop reaching backward for explanations and deal with what's happening directly in front of them.

Skenes is 9-11 with a 3.88 ERA through 25 starts. Those numbers are hardly disastrous, and Cherington is correct that many of his underlying statistics remain respectable. But anyone watching him regularly can tell this is not the same pitcher.

Skenes' four-seam fastball is averaging 96.8 mph this season after sitting at 98.2 mph last year and 98.8 mph as a rookie. His velocity has dipped even further recently, and the Pirates have already acknowledged that he is not recovering between starts as well as they would like.

Whether the cause is injury, fatigue, workload management or something else, Skenes is clearly not operating at full strength. And if fatigue really is the explanation, that should force the organization to seriously evaluate whether continuing to run its franchise pitcher out there during a disappointing season is worth the risk.

Cherington can point to LSU, the World Baseball Classic or the workload that comes with being an elite starter. None of it changes the obvious. Something is wrong with Paul Skenes right now.

The Pirates’ job isn't to keep finding explanations for it. Their job is to make sure it doesn't become something worse.

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