PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pirates manager Derek Shelton doubled down on his comments from Monday during his weekly show on 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday.
Paul Skenes is scheduled to pitch in Indianapolis on Saturday.
“As we continue to talk through everything with every single player, you can always say there is a chance,” Shelton said with Joe Starkey and Paul Zeise on 93.7 The Fan. “Right now, that’s where we are at.”
Skenes is coming off his worst performance in AAA, 4.1 innings, three hits, two runs, his first home run allowed, two walks and four strikeouts. Are the Pirates hesitant to promote him because of this start, his first on four days of rest?
“No, there is nothing that.. that start was the first time on regular rest,” Shelton said on the Joe Starkey Show on 93.7 The Fan. “I think as we’ve talked about during the whole process, there is a process to this and there is a build-up to it. There are a lot of factors that go into it and nothing that has happened in one start or the other has affected anything in our thought process.”
Shelton said during his weekly show it is something that we continue to talk about organizationally. He said when they feel it is time for Skenes to pitch in the big leagues, they will first let him know and then tell the world.
The first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft has made seven starts in AAA this year with a 0.99 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 27.1 innings and 45 strikeouts.
“He’s scheduled to pitch for Indy on Saturday,” Shelton reiterated.