Pirates have encouraging update on Paul Skenes' workload for 2024 season

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes made his shortest start since June on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, tossing 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball while striking out four and walking three. His ERA for the season actually increased from 1.90 to – gasp! – 1.99.

It was arguably the first time in his young major league career that Skenes actually looked human, causing concerns about his workload to bubble up as the Pirates look to work their way into the playoff conversation. After Sunday's start against the Diamondbacks, Skenes has now thrown 113 1/3 innings this season between the major and minor leagues. He established his current personal high last year, when he threw 129 1/3 innings between LSU and the minors.

However, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington detailed during his weekly radio show on 93.7 The Fan this week that Skenes was in "good shape" with regard to his volume at this point in the season. Cherington also said that while the Pirates remain open to reducing Skenes' pitch count at some point this season, his recovery between starts is going to determine the club's course of action more so than the actual number of pitches or total innings of work.

Pirates will rely heavily on Skenes as they look to remain in the playoff conversation

This update from Cherington is certainly good news for the Pirates, who will need all the innings they can get out of the rookie phenom down the stretch. Pittsburgh is currently one game over .500 and sits four games back of the final National League wild card spot in a crowded race that also includes the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals.

Skenes' next start is currently slated for next Saturday on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It will represent the second time in Skenes' big-league career that he's faced Shohei Ohtani,who on Saturday became MLB's first player to record a 30-30 season in 2024. In the last meeting between the two stars, Ohtani went 2-for-3 against Skenes, notching two hits and taking the young flamethrower deep on a 100 MPH fastball. Pittsburgh went on to win the game by a final score of 10-6.

Let's hope for an efficient outing this time around so Skenes can save more bullets for a possible playoff run.

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