Paul Skenes makes his next start with Indianapolis at 6:05 PM.
The right-hander went 4.1 innings in his last outing, pitching into the fifth frame for the first time. He’s gradually increasing his pitch count, and if he remains on this five day schedule, it will be difficult to keep him down for many more starts.
This week might be his first time pitching twice in the same calendar week. With a Tuesday start, Skenes would line up to pitch next on May 5th. From there, his next turn would be Friday, May 10th. After that, he would be looking at Wednesday, May 15th, and Tuesday, May 21st.
Skenes has only given up one run this year. If he goes five innings this week, and continues making Triple-A look easy, then a strong argument could be made for a May 10th MLB debut. That would be home against the Cubs, wrapping a nine game homestand.
The Pirates could use help long before a potential Skenes arrival. Their offense had two hits on Monday night, with four players in the lineup who had an OPS under .600 (Jack Suwinski, Jared Triolo, Rowdy Tellez, and Michael A. Taylor).
Eventually, Yasmani Grandal will return. That should lead to Henry Davis being sent down to get daily work in Triple-A, as Davis hasn’t been performing as well as Joey Bart.
The Pirates also have Nick Gonzales hitting well, and reducing his strikeouts. I wrote two weeks ago about how he was still dealing with swing and miss against breaking stuff, but this past week he had multiple hits against offspeed pitches. Bringing up Gonzales to play second base, and moving Triolo to a utility role might boost the offense. That requires Gonzales carrying his offense over to the big leagues, where there are far better breaking pitches.
The Pirates need help in the big leagues. Skenes can’t pitch them to 0-0 victories. At the least, adding Grandal and Gonzales to the offense might provide a spark before the top pitching prospect arrives.
STATCAST HEROES
DAILY VIDEO RUNDOWN
The Pirates' bullpen is keeping itself entertained 😂 pic.twitter.com/kvcCoaQOzP
— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) April 30, 2024
TODAY: PIRATES (14-15) VS ATHLETICS (12-17)
Game Time: 6:40 PM EDT
Watch: SportsNet-PIT
Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7
Pirates Starter: Mitch Keller, RHP (2-2, 5.14)
Athletics Starter: Alex Wood, LHP (1-2, 6.59)
In the Minors…
- Triple-A: Indianapolis, 6:05 PM – RHP Paul Skenes (0-0, 0.53)
- Double-A: Altoona, 6:30 PM – RHP Bubba Chandler (1-1, 4.15)
- High-A: Greensboro, 6:00 PM – TBD
- Single-A: Bradenton, 6:30 PM – TBD
PIRATES PROSPECTS DAILY
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LAST WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
This week’s premium article drop for Patreon subscribers looks at players in Single-A with the Bradenton Marauders. Like every other level, this group is highlighted by interesting pitchers. There are also some hitters to follow on the position player side, which I broke down in my premium column.
**Williams: Pirates Prospects Sleepers to Follow in Single-A
Michael Kennedy was an over-slot prep pick in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. The lefty is in his first full-season league in pro ball, and showed promise this past weekend with an eight strikeout performance.
**Michael Kennedy Shows Path to Big Leagues With Eight Strikeout Performance
Khristian Curtis has a six pitch mix, despite not having a lot of time on the mound in his pitching career. The Pirates gave him an over-slot bonus as a 12th rounder last year, giving them the chance to develop his arsenal.
**Khristian Curtis Features Big Stuff From a Six Pitch Mix
Carlson Reed is showing promise in his early results with Bradenton. The West Virginia draftee has a 2.45 ERA in his first three starts this year, after being taken in the fourth round last year.
**West Virginia Pitcher Carlson Reed is Off to a Great Start With the Pirates
Relievers aren’t usually prospects in the lower levels, but Magdiel Cotto is a lefty who can get his fastball up to 95. The Pirates went over-slot on him in the 11th round last year, and he’s showing good results as a reliever in the 2024 season.
**Magdiel Cotto is an Over-Slot Lefty With a Fastball That Gets Up to 95
The Pirates traded for Connor Oliver at the start of the season, getting something in return for Colin Selby. This marks his sixth different organization since the start of 2020, with hopes that the Pirates can develop the lefty into an MLB option.
**Connor Oliver Remains on the Move With Trade to Pirates
SONG OF THE DAY
