Morning Rundown: Paul Skenes to start in Triple-A, Opening Day roster announced
Paul Skenes starting assignment announced, as are the Opening Day rosters.
Ben Cherington announced today that 2023 first-overall pick Paul Skenes will begin the 2024 season with Triple-A Indianapolis.
Skenes was invited to major league camp this Spring but only pitched in two games before getting sent back to minor league camp. He also pitched in the ‘Spring Breakout’ against the Baltimore Orioles.
Though the sample size was small, Skenes thoroughly impressed with his command of the fastball, which hit 102 mph multiple times.
The Indianapolis Indians will start their season on Friday with a three-game set against the Louisville Bats.
On Monday, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced their initial 26-man roster for the 2024 season. On Thursday, they will begin the regular season with a four-game series on the road against the Miami Marlins.
Pitchers
Mitch Keller
Marco Gonzales
Martin Perez
Bailey Falter
Jared Jones
David Bednar
Aroldis Chapman
Hunter Stratton
Ryan Borucki
Josh Fleming
Roansy Contreras
Luis Ortiz
Ryder Ryan
Catchers
Henry Davis
Jason Delay
Infielders
Rowdy Tellez
Jared Triolo
Oneil Cruz
Ke’Bryan Hayes
Alika Williams
Outfielders
Andrew McCutchen
Bryan Reynolds
Jack Suwinski
Michael A. Taylor
Connor Joe
Edward Olivares
I’ll provide a more detailed breakdown of the roster and my thoughts on it later in today’s feature.
The Pirates defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in their final Spring Training game. Marco Gonzales pitched three innings, allowing three hits and one run while striking out two.
Eric Lauer made his first appearance, pitching two solid innings while striking out three.
Luis Ortiz, who we found out was going to be in a ‘bulk role’ out of the bullpen, allowed an earned run on two hits in the inning he pitched.
Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jake Lamb each picked up a pair of hits, with the latter also driving in two runs. Henry Davis and Rowdy Tellez drove the other two runs on the day.
Top Exit Velocity
Jake Lamb - 107.1 mph - Single
Jason Delay - 101.3 mph - Single
Henry Davis - 100.6 mph - Double
Ke’Bryan Hayes - 100.3 mph - Single
Jared Triolo - 99.1 mph - Lineout
Top Pitch Velocity
Luis Ortiz - 97.5 mph
Luis Ortiz - 97 mph
Luis Ortiz - 96.9 mph
Brent Honeywell Jr. - 96.8 mph
Brent Honeywell Jr. - 96.4 mph
Most Whiffs (Whiff%)
Ryan Borucki - 5 (50%)
Eric Lauer - 4 (29%)
Marco Gonzales - 3 (18%)
Brent Honeywell Jr. - 2 (29%)
Ryder Ryan - 1 (33%)
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Luis look like he been in that bulk role all winter.
Mayo posting that Skenes is throwing a splinker on the backfields?