Pirates manager Don Kelly addresses Paul Skenes workload concerns

When Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes left Wednesday's start against the Milwaukee Brewers after throwing just 78 pitches over a season-low four innings, fans were understandably on edge.

Skenes had gotten lit up for four earned runs in the second inning, making for a very uncharacteristic performance that had some fans speculating he might have suffered an injury. That speculation only intensified when Skenes was pulled after four innings. After the game, however, Pirates manager Don Kelly explained that Skenes was on a short leash for workload monitoring purposes.

“We’re always watching, not just Paul, but all the guys," Kelly said (via Justin Guerriero of TribLive.) "But especially Paul, he’s up over 100 (innings pitched) now. Just really want to be mindful of where he’s at. There’s going to be days where he can run for a long time, and there’s other times that we’ve got to just take care of him, too, as far as him being our workhorse and understanding where he’s at.”

Don't be surprised if Pirates 'workhorse' Paul Skenes starts to sprinkle in some shorter outings in 2025

Skenes’ start on Wednesday was his 17th of the season, and he has now pitched 106 innings in 2025. He threw 133 innings in 23 starts last season, and that was after making his Major League debut on May 11. (He had also pitched 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Indianapolis before his MLB call-up).

After Skenes had his workload monitored extremely closely during his rookie campaign, fans were excited to see the Pirates let him loose in 2025. For the most part, they have, as Skenes has pitched eight innings twice and 7 2/3 innings once since May 18, along with three other appearances of at least six innings during that span.

“Obviously, (Wednesday) was a little lower volume,” Skenes said. “I think we’re probably going to mix those in occasionally throughout the year. But you look at the stretch we just went on, where a lot of (starts) were on five days’ (rest), going seven-eight innings pretty consistently — I’ve been happy with it.”

We all want the Pirates to let Skenes cook, but at the end of the day his health and longevity still hang in the balance as he strings together all of these extended starts. Sprinkling in some shorter outings here and there is going to be the best thing for Skenes and the Pirates long term, even if it's less fun to watch in the moment.

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