Tuesday was a statement game for rookie pitcher Paul Skenes.
The 2023 first overall pick pitched into the ninth inning for the first time in his career, following a 100.8 MPH fastball that generated a fly out to end the eighth inning, on his 91st pitch of the game.
The efficiency from Skenes was better than any of his previous MLB starts. He got through the first inning on nine pitches, with one strikeout. The second inning was another nine pitch frame.
He threw 17 pitches in the third inning, striking out two, including a ten pitch strikeout against Michael Siani. That type of inning, with that type of lengthy strikeout at-bat, has been more prevalent in previous starts, limiting how long Skenes could go in the game.
He went back to being efficient in the fourth inning, getting three outs on balls in play, and only needing ten pitches.
The fifth inning saw Nolan Arenado homer on a first pitch curveball, putting the Cardinals up 1-0. Skenes responded by striking out the side, only needing 14 pitches to add three more strikeouts. From there, he had an 11 pitch sixth, a seven pitch seventh, and 13 pitches in the eighth inning, with two strikeouts added.
The ninth inning didn’t go as well, with Siani battling back from 1-2 to hit a double to left on a close play at second base. Skenes allowed a one-out RBI single for his second run of the game, before being relieved by Carmen Mlodzinski.
Despite pitching a gem of an outing — 8.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 1 HR — Skenes picked up his first loss. The Pirates offered him very little run support, with one run scored in the eighth inning on small ball. They went down with three strikeouts swinging in the ninth to close out the loss.
With the trade deadline approaching, this is probably the best example of why the Pirates need to add hitting. They’ve got a rotation that can contend, led by a rookie who is drawing Cy Young consideration. Wasting starts like this with an anemic offense is what would prevent them from reaching the playoffs, where this rotation could shine.
Injury Updates
The Pirates announced some promising injury updates, with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Noah Hiles relaying the news from Pirates Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk.
**Bailey Falter is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Indianapolis tomorrow.
**Jared Jones threw off flat ground, and could throw a bullpen this weekend.
**Endy Rodriguez is hitting from both sides of the plate. He’s hitting from the right side off a tee and coach-thrown batting practice. The Pirates will determine in August if he can get work this year as a designated hitter.
**Braxton Ashcraft will be back on the mound in 7-10 days, after being shut down with lateral forearm tightness.
Getting Falter and Jones back on the mound is good to see. I wrote about the deep rotation depth recently, and that only gets better with those two on the path to a return. It would be a bonus if Rodriguez and/or Ashcraft could help the team in September during a playoff push, though in each case the priority should be getting them healthy for the 2025 season.
In the minors, the Pirates had a few injury updates related to Indianapolis. They activated outfielder Billy McKinney from the 7-day injured list. RHP Hunter Stratton will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A. Meanwhile, RHP Brad Case, currently on the Triple-A IL, will move his rehab work to Single-A Bradenton. The Pirates also transferred infielder Mike Jarvis to the development list.
Pirates Have Two in the Top 100
Baseball America updated their top 100 prospect list, adding the 2024 draft picks to the rankings.
Pirates’ first rounder Konnor Griffin entered the list ranked 82nd overall, getting a 60/Extreme grade, with an ETA of 2027. BA noted that Griffin has the chance to be a plus defender at either shortstop or center field, with plus-plus speed and plus raw power. They also pointed out his contact issues, while saying that if he hits, he could be a star.
The top prospect from the Pirates on the list was Bubba Chandler, who ranked 57th overall, with a 55/High grade and an ETA of 2025. They said that many evaluators see Chandler as a future closer.
Pirates Add Another Draft Signing
The Pirates have now signed six picks from their 2024 draft class, after signing third round LHP Josh Hartle to a deal on Tuesday. They’ve also signed their sixth through tenth round picks.
The Draft Pick Signing Tracker has been updated with all of the signings and bonus information. All six of the players added so far have been signed to below-slot totals. The Pirates have created an extra $179,200 in bonus room, with five of their top ten round picks still left unsigned.
Teams can spend up to 5% over their bonus pool before losing any future picks. The Pirates would have $879,225 to spend on over-slot picks right now before losing future draft considerations. Four of their unsigned picks are prep players, who would have more leverage, even with higher bonus slots for their picks. The Pirates have also been known to spend above-slot after the tenth round, where teams can only spend $150,000 on any single pick before counting against their bonus pool.
Pirates Prospect Watch
Seth Beer launched three homers for Indianapolis. Nick Cimillo hit his first homer since moving up to Altoona. Termarr Johnson extended his hitting streak to 16 games, in a game won by a walk off homer from Shawn Ross. Read about all of Tuesday’s minor league action in the latest Pirates Prospect Watch:
Pirates Prospect Watch: Seth Beer Hits Three Homers For Indianapolis
