Despite having his start pushed back to give him extra rest, Pittsburgh Pirates star Paul Skenes' first outing in eight days looked like a lot of his recent performances.

Pittsburgh Pirates ace and reigning National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes will receive extra rest ahead of his next start. The decision, which manager Don Kelly said is not related to injury, comes as the Pirates continue to see their playoff hopes dwindle and Skenes continues to labor through a 2026 season that thus far has not been up to his standards.

Paul Skenes was pulled after just 65 pitches in his last start, as he's dealt with a significant drop in velocity from 2025. He'll face the Tigers on Wednesday.

Paul Skenes has gone from the most untouchable arm in baseball to a pitcher fighting his own mechanics, and now the internet's jokes about his physique. The Pittsburgh Pirates ace, still working under his rookie-scale contract as the No. 1 overall pick in ...

Skenes has struggled this season, and so have the Pirates. Pittsburgh will be giving their ace some extra rest.

In his first two years in MLB, Skenes consistently hit triple digits and had a fastball that averaged above 98 mph. This season, his fastball velocity has dropped to 96.8 mph. Against MLB hitters, that kind of velocity decrease can make all the difference.