The Pittsburgh Pirates have dealt Paul Skenes another blow by pushing back his next start by three days amid his struggles on the mound.
The three-time All Star, who was pictured on a beach day with his glamorous influencer girlfriend Livvy Dunne last week, was due to pitch on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox.
But Pirates manager Don Kelly announced that Skenes will be rested until Wednesday when he will take on the Detroit Tigers instead.
‘Ultimately, it was Donny’s decision,’ Skenes said after Saturday’s 4-0 loss to Boston.
‘But we had talked about it – and like I said after the last start, I’ll have his back on whatever that is. I don’t necessarily disagree with the decision either.’
The call comes with Skenes in the midst of his worst form since he entered MLB back in 2024, which hit a new low in a loss to the Miami Marlins earlier this week.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have decided to push back Paul Skenes’ next start by three days
Skenes was pictured on a beach day with his glamorous influencer girlfriend Livvy Dunne
The Pirates ace who blitzed his way to National League Rookie of the Year in 2024 and the Cy Young award in 2025 has spent the majority of 2026 looking entirely ordinary.
On Tuesday night, Skenes only threw 65 pitches across five innings against the Marlins before being pulled out during the 2-0 loss.
During his brief night on the mount, the 24-year-old gave up a home run and an RBI single.
To compound matters for the former LSU phenom, Skenes was unable to throw a fastball quicker than 96.5mph. Last season, he threw 99 mph or higher 68 times.
The disappointment in Miami was also the third time this season he’s been pulled out of the game having thrown only 65 or fewer pitches.
On Wednesday, Skenes was seen with 23-year-old Dunne in Florida and was swiftly mocked online for his ‘dad bod’ – an unwelcome sideshow to a season already dogged by questions over his form.
MLB great Curt Schilling has pinned the blame on mechanics, pointing to Skenes’ early-season workload at the World Baseball Classic where the man who once served in the Air Force proudly represented his country for the first time.
Others, like Kelly, think Skenes is chasing an impossible standard set by his own dominant start to his career.
Amid his struggles on the mound, some fans have worried that a secret injury could be slowing him down.
Skenes only threw 65 pitches across five innings against the Marlins before being pulled out
The ultimate fear would be the dreaded Tommy John surgery to repair elbow ligaments, which can take around 18 months to fully recover.
However an insider, speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, poured cold water on that theory.
‘Paul’s recent troubles have been happening for several reasons, but if injury is one then both Paul and the team are very tight lipped and keeping any of that information a secret,’ the insider said.
‘But most are thinking he isn’t hurt because if he was, either himself or the Pirates would have shut him down to protect him for the future.’
