The Pirates couldn’t hold a lead against the Angels yesterday, but Bucco fans still were rejoicing after the team announced that Paul Skenes will be called up and start against the Cubs this weekend. Greg Brown has the story of a disappointing day on the field.
Manager Derek Shelton says Martín Perez lost his edge in the 6th inning.
Shelton says the Angels’ relievers shut down the Bucs’ hitters.
The Pirates are off today and will open a three-game series against the Cubs tomorrow night at PNC Park.
Paul Skenes’ next 100-mile-per-hour fastball will be thrown in a Pirates uniform, and most likely before a sellout crowd on Saturday afternoon against the Cubs.
Skenes has made only 12 starts and thrown only 34 innings since being selected number one overall last year. This year with Indianapolis, he was 0-0 with a 0.99 ERA in 27-and-a-third innings pitched. He allowed four runs, three earned, on 17 hits, struck out 46, walked only 8, and opposing batters could only manage a combined .175 batting average against him.
Of the 422 pitches Skenes has thrown this year at Triple-A, 98 were 100 miles-per-hour or more, topping out at 102, and his four-seam fastball, which he has thrown 47 percent of the time, averaged 99.9 miles-per-hour.
The Wednesday injury report from Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk included an update on catcher Jason Delay, who caught a bullpen session yesterday for the first time since knee surgery last month. He could be headed to Florida soon to continue his rehab.
- Pitcher Johan Oviedo is approaching the six-month mark since having Tommy John surgery and cleared to begin a throwing program next week.
- Switch-hitting catcher Endy Rodriguez is swinging a bat left-handed as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery.
- Minor league pitcher Owen Kellington had Tommy John surgery last week. He was a 4th round draft choice in 2021.
- Tomczyk also said that shortstop Oneil Cruz has tweaked his surgically repaired ankle three times in recent weeks, but he’s going to have to continue to play and get treatments on it to strengthen the joint.
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