The Pittsburgh Pirates are making a change to their starting rotation after the All-Star Break.
While the break has been a welcome opportunity for the Pittsburgh Pirates to reset ahead of the final two-month stretch of the regular season, it's time for the team to get back to business.
Coming out of the break, the Pirates will take on the Cleveland Guardians for three games at Progressive Field.
Pittsburgh has already made a pretty significant change coming out of the break and heading into this series, centered around the starting rotation.
Pittsburgh's starting pitchers for the series will go like this:
- Friday - Jared Jones
- Saturday - Braxton Ashcraft
- Sunday - Paul Skenes
There aren't any changes to who is in the rotation, but based on the order heading into the break.
First, it makes sense to start Jones out of the brea considering he's still on a pitch count and Pittsburgh's bullpen will be fully rested after nearly a week off.
Second, by goes with this trio out of the gate, the Pirates are also pushing Mitch Keller back.
So far this season, Keller has followed Jones in the rotation, which should set him up to pitch on Saturday. Instead, the Pirates are going with their two All-Star pitchers, Ashcraft and Skenes, to wrap up the series.
This puts Keller in a spot to likely start either Monday or Tuesday, but the team hasn't announced the probable start for their series against the New York Yankees yet.
Presumably, the Pirates are pushing back Keller's start to give him more time to reset after a recent rough stretch on the mound.
The 30-year-old has a 5.14 ERA and 1.33 WHIP this season and a 6.69 ERA since the start of June.
Apr 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller (23) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn ImagesKeller admitted after his last start, in which he lasted only three innings, that he was looking forward to the All-Star Break to take some time away, but also to dive deeper into the mechanical aspects of his game and focus on one or two things to help him get back on track.
If Keller were to make his next start on Tuesday, it would represent 12 days between starts, which is hopefully enough time to
The Pirates are very much still in the National League Wild Card race thanks to an improved offense and a still strong rotation.
That said, Keller is the veteran of the starting five, and Pittsburgh will need him to be a consistent presence in the rotation for the remainder of the season.
Hopefully, the All-Star Break, along with pushing back Keller's start, will be exactly what he needs to get back on track.
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