Pirates Call Up Paul Skenes After Livvy Dunne Called It - Starts Saturday Vs. Cubs

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton didn't see it coming as recently as Monday. But apparently, national champion LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne knows more about her boyfriend than Shelton does.

"Here we go," Dunne said on an Instagram post Wednesday.

Paul Skenes, the first player picked in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft last July by Pittsburgh after pitching LSU to the national championship, was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis to the Big Show by the Pirates on Wednesday. He is expected to start for Pittsburgh on Saturday at home against the Chicago Cubs (4:05 p.m., MLB.tv). The Pirates, 17-21 for third in the National League Central, need a spark. They lost six of their last seven in April and lost their second straight to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.

"He's scheduled to pitch in Indy this week," Shelton said incorrectly on Monday and added that he had not spoken "in any form or fashion" to anyone about Skenes pitching this week for the Pirates.

"There was speculation that he was going to pitch in this series or (on Sunday)," Shelton said Monday. "I think when you have someone that’s talented like he is, there’s always going to be speculation. People are always going to have it figured out. Well, we haven’t figured it out yet."

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But maybe Livvy Dunne, who began dating Skenes more than a year ago, already had.

On Sunday she posted a Pirates jersey on her SnapChat account. Pittsburgh radio talk show how Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 FM The Fan posted the jersey on his X account.

So, Livvy wins. Now, it's Paul's turn.

Skenes had expressed frustration just recently about being brought along too slowly. He will have his chance in the Big Leagues after ripping up Triple-A through seven starts this season as he compiled a phenomenal 0.99 earned run average with no decisions. He struck out 45 in just 27 and a third innings. His WHIP (walks and hits per inning) was also a minuscule 0.91, and he allowed a .175 batting average.

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In all, he gave up 17 hits and three earned runs with eight walks, one home run, one wild pitch and zero balks with Indianapolis. On Sunday in his most recent start for Indianapolis, he allowed three hits, two runs, including a home run, and two walks with four strikeouts in four and one-third innings in a 66-pitch no-decision that the Indians won, 8-3, over Buffalo.

Then-Indianapolis pitcher Paul Skenes delivers against Buffalo on April 30 at Victory Field in Triple-A Indianapolis. The Pittsburgh Pirates called up Skenes on Wednesday, and he is expected to start Saturday vs. the Cubs. (Getty Images)

That was his first game on only four days of rest, though. The previous Tuesday, Skenes delivered, striking out seven in a six-inning shutout around a walk and four hits as he threw a pro career-high 75 pitches with 53 strikes as the Indians beat Buffalo, 4-3.

Before dating Dunne, Skenes was already a national phenomenon and being compared to such generational pitchers exiting college as Ben McDonald, the first player picked in the 1989 MLB Draft out of LSU by Baltimore, and Stephen Strasburg, the first pick of the 2009 draft out of San Diego State by Washington. 

Both McDonald and Strasburg were slowed by injuries. McDonald was 78-70 with a 3.91 ERA and 894 strikeouts before retiring after the 1997 season. Strasburg had arm issues since his rookie year, but finished 113-62 with a 3.24 ERA and 1,723 strikeouts. A three-time All-Star, he had the best record in MLB at 18-6 in 2019 and was the World Series MVP for champion Washington that year. He retired after the 2023 season.

Skenes was 13-2 with a 1.69 ERA with 209 strikeouts in 122 and two-thirds innings for LSU in the 2023 season. He broke the Southeastern Conference record for strikeouts in a season. McDonald had held that with 202 since 1989. Skenes also led the nation in strikeouts per nine innings at LSU with 15.3 last season. He was striking out 14.8 per nine innings this season.

After the Pirates took him with the first pick of the draft, he was 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA on three Pirates' minor league teams later that summer. Through six and two-thirds innings, he struck out 10 with two walks around five hits and four runs allowed in 2023 with the Pirates' organization.

"He's been checking just about every box since the season started," Pirates' general manager Ben Cherington said this week. "And responding incredibly well."