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Pirates Ace Skenes Faces Innings Limit as Season Winds Down
18 Aug
Summary
- Pirates may shut down Skenes in next few weeks to limit innings
- Skenes currently at 148 innings, team wants to keep him under 200
- Skenes had rough outing against Brewers, but still a "gift to watch"
As the 2025 MLB season enters its final stretch, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been buoyed by the stellar performance of their young ace, Paul Skenes. However, the team may soon be forced to limit Skenes' workload in the coming weeks.
According to MLB.com writer Will Leitch, the Pirates have stated they would like to keep Skenes' innings total under 200 for the season. With the right-hander currently sitting at 148 innings, that means he will likely be restricted to no more than six innings per start for the remainder of the year, or the team may even skip one or two of his final scheduled outings.
Skenes' last start against the Milwaukee Brewers was one of his poorest of the season, as he lasted just four innings while giving up four earned runs. However, Leitch notes that even with this rough outing, Skenes remains "a gift to watch" for Pirates fans.
With 37 games left in Pittsburgh's season, Skenes is expected to make around six or seven more starts. The team may use this as an opportunity to give some of their minor league prospects a chance to pitch at the big league level before the year comes to a close.
Despite the impending innings limit, Skenes is set to take the mound tonight as the Pirates host the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. EST at PNC Park.
