Paul Skenes had his scheduled start pushed back to Wednesday, and after months of diminished velocity, mechanical questions and uneven results, Alex Stumpf wonders whether the Pirates should start thinking less about 2026 and more about protecting Skenes for 2027.

Skenes and the Pirates maintain that he isn't injured, but his fastball velocity has dipped, his results have fallen off from his Cy Young standard, and Alex sees enough changes in his delivery to raise legitimate concern. If the extra rest doesn't lead to a rebound Wednesday, is there really anything left to gain by pushing him through the final weeks of a fading season?

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