The Pittsburgh Pirates begin a three-game series against a recently red-hot Boston Red Sox team currently on a five-game losing streak. First pitch is Friday, August 14 at 6:40 P.M. EST at PNC Park.
The Pirates are returning from a roadtrip in Miami, where they lost two of three to the Marlins. Ace pitcher, Paul Skenes took his 11th loss of the season on Tuesday after an early exit.
Skenes’ velocity failed to top 96.5 mph, and after photos at the beach with girlfriend Livvy Dunne surfaced, a new debate was started online.
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Paul Skenes Spotted Looking Out of Shape in New Shirtless Photos With Girlfriend Livvy Dunne
On Tuesday, August 11, Paul Skenes had an early outing against the Miami Marlins where he gave up one run in 65 pitches through five innings. Skenes never reached 97 mph on any pitch.
Paul Skenes threw just 65 pitches in five innings tonight against the Marlins, allowing one earned run while striking out four, walking one and allowing five hits
He never reached 97 MPH on any pitch pic.twitter.com/MNufGwO7Ut
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 12, 2026
Following his outing, photos surfaced of him and girlfriend Livvy Dunne at the beach in the Miami. Skenes was shirtless in these photos, raising a lot of questions if his velocity decrease this season is due to weight gain.
Paul Skenes spotted on a Miami beach today 👀
(h/t @Just_Emma30) pic.twitter.com/mLJP2PkYv7
— Punchoutpitch (@Punchoutpitch) August 13, 2026
Before the photos were posted online, MLB writer Jon Perrotto says that Skenes has gained “noticeable weight” between seasons that could be hindering his performance.
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MLB World Reacts to Paul Skenes Weight Gain Debate
Here’s what MLB fans are saying about the recent photos of Paul Skenes in Miami:
@Dan Clark: Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne at the beach in Miami. Skenes is simply not in shape for a pro athlete. In fact, it is not even close. IMO this cannot be helping his performance. My question – is he fully committed and doing all he can to perform the best he possibly can?
@Mark Popiolkowski: I’d say Paul Skenes is stealing money this year! Have another donut ~ being out of shape is disrespecting the game.
@Barstool Sports: An unflattering shirtless photo with Livvy Dunne on the beach has fueled the fire for the Paul Skenes weight gain storyline. It’s time to figure this all out after he failed to top 97 mph in Tuesday’s 65 pitch start.
@BonkDaCarnivore: Plenty of out of shape pitchers, because the art of pitching is weird. None of them are supposed to be jacked because the entire job is range of motion. They don’t run. They don’t swing. Their only job is to get on a mound and repeat a motion 65-110 times once a week. Skenes’s late-season issue isn’t that he’s out of shape – it’s that he’s been overworked and it’s the end of the season. His fastball is down to “only” 98. With the workload he’s had, that’s fine. People ragging on this dude are clueless.
@Jared Kubin: Everyone trying to mog Skenes has never been in a pro level locker room. First, pitchers are bizarre. Everything about them is backwards and just plain weird. Second, you will NEVER find a jacked starting pitcher. Why? Everything for them is about stretching and range of motion. And Third, if you lined up every starting pitcher in the MLB he is prob top 25% body comp….they stretch, drink beer, golf, and throw smoke from 60’6” Haters gonna hate.
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