Will it be a debut weekend for Paul Skenes or not?

The Pirates have won 3 games in a row and look to be getting a little bit more back on track. The team took two games against the Colorado Rockies and opened their latest series against the LA Angels with another win. Much of the conversation has been around whether or not the Pirates could get back on the winning track. Well, playing two West Coast teams at home, both of whom are expected to be among the worst in Baseball, can surely help.

While the team's struggles have been the most talked about topic in terms of the Big League team, the Paul Skenes speculation continues to persist. No matter what happens, this will probably be the team's biggest story of the year for the club. Skenes has packed many stadiums with fans in the Minor Leagues already, so his debut is expected to be special. On top of that, there is an expectation for there to be a lot of hype around the game, with it being covered nationally and maybe across the globe.

The thought was that this would be a good time period for Skenes to make his debut. This would give him time to build his arm up. At this point, he has made 7 starts and many thought that his 7th minor league start could have been his first Big League start. A home game against the Rockies is not exactly the most exciting matchup, Skenes being called up would make for a great marketing opportunity.

The same can be said in regard to this upcoming weekend series. The NL Central rival Chicago Cubs will come into town. Again, Skenes could line up to pitch in 1 of the 3 games at home this weekend. The buzz will already be high as it's a division series, but debuting Skenes could prove to fans that this team is not only trying to win but trying to truly compete in the NL Central.

Unfortunately the potential debut is being shot down for now. by the Pirates manager.

Derek Shelton has said multiple times now that Skenes is scheduled to pitch for Indy this weekend. Now that is an easy and generic way of answering the question, so do not close the door just yet.