Paul Skenes’ Miami beach appearance turns heads after concerning Pirates start

Paul Skenes traded the pitcher’s mound for the beach one day after delivering another unusually ordinary performance for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner was spotted with girlfriend Olivia “Livvy” Dunne at a beach in Key Biscayne, Fla., during Pittsburgh’s road series against the Miami Marlins.

A photo of Skenes on the beach quickly circulated on social media Wednesday, naturally attracting attention because of what had transpired during his start the previous night. Skenes allowed two runs, one earned, with four strikeouts over five innings in the Pirates’ 2-0 loss at loanDepot Park. Manager Don Kelly removed him after only 65 pitches despite the right-hander not issuing a walk.

The short outing was surprising. The continued decline in Skenes’ fastball velocity was far more concerning.

Paul Skenes’ velocity continues troubling decline

Skenes’ fastball averaged a career-low 95.9 mph against Miami and topped out at 96.6 mph, according to CBS Sports. That would qualify as premium velocity for most MLB starters. It is a dramatic departure for a pitcher who routinely overwhelmed hitters with triple-digit heat during his rapid ascent to stardom.

Skenes had thrown at least four pitches at 97 mph or faster in each of his first 79 MLB starts. That streak ended Tuesday night. Kelly and Skenes both denied that the early exit was injury-related. The manager instead called it a strategic decision that he believed gave Pittsburgh the best chance to win.

“Anybody this time of year is not injured, but guys in August aren’t 100%,” Kelly said. “It wasn’t injury-related that he came out.”

Skenes also said Kelly’s explanation for the move made sense, although he acknowledged that he wanted to pitch deeper into the game. The beach appearance may offer at least some reassurance that Skenes is not dealing with an obvious physical problem requiring immediate treatment. It does not, however, explain why his most dominant weapon has steadily diminished.

Earlier in the season, Skenes and the Pirates attributed his reduced velocity to a conscious effort to improve his command. That explanation becomes more difficult to accept as his struggles continue.

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Pirates desperately need their ace back

Skenes owns a 3.88 ERA with 166 strikeouts over 134 2/3 innings this season, numbers most pitchers would happily accept. Expectations are different for Skenes.

The Pirates are 3-13 over his last 16 starts, a stretch in which he has recorded a 5.00 ERA while averaging only 5.3 innings per appearance. His underlying metrics indicate he has pitched better than that ERA suggests, but the overpowering version of Skenes has appeared less frequently.

Pittsburgh’s problems extend well beyond its ace. The Pirates have lost 14 of their last 19 games and entered Wednesday at 58-63, last in the NL Central and six games behind the final National League wild-card position. Their starting rotation has posted a 5.40 ERA since July 1, while the offense and defense have also struggled.

Pittsburgh entered Wednesday with only a 4.6% chance to reach the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. The Pirates cannot complete an improbable late-season recovery without Skenes pitching like a genuine ace. They need his starts to stop losing streaks, protect the bullpen and provide the consistency missing from the rest of their rotation.

A day at the beach during a road series is hardly a scandal. Players have downtime, and Skenes was not scheduled to pitch again in Miami. The timing simply guaranteed attention.

Skenes can silence the questions surrounding his velocity and health during his next scheduled start, which is expected to come early next week against the Detroit Tigers.

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