Will Pirates shut down Paul Skenes?

May 29, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Pirates have faded from the playoff race, and that has raised questions about whether the team might shut down star pitcher Paul Skenes.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton addressed that possibility on Thursday, and he firmly denied that he planned to shut down Skenes to protect him from injury. Shelton dismissed the possibility, but did not rule out some sort of limitation on Skenes’ workload going forward.

Manager Derek Shelton on Paul Skenes:

"There is no immediate plan to shut him down. There has never been any immediate plans to shut him down. How we monitor that, whether it’s an innings limit or a workload limit per game, we’ll be thoughtful about that."

— Andrew Destin (@AndrewDestin1) August 22, 2024

“There is no immediate plan to shut him down. There has never been any immediate plans to shut him down,” Shelton said. “How we monitor that, whether it’s an innings limit or a workload limit per game, we’ll be thoughtful about that.”

In other words, Skenes might see a significant reduction in workload. That could endanger his Rookie of the Year bid, especially with San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill surging lately. The Pirates, however, have little incentive to risk Skenes’ long-term future in a dead-end season.

Some legendary pitchers will not be happy to see Skenes handled so conservatively. Perhaps that will change next year.