Paul Skenes

Last season, 390 pitchers, 13 per team, spent time on MLB's injury list, missing a total of more than 33,000 days. And if you're on the injured list, you aren't throwing any innings at all. Injuries to pitchers are already such a problem, in fact, that strenuous effort is made to avoid them.

Last season, 390 pitchers, 13 per team, spent time on MLB's injury list, missing a total of more than 33,000 days. And if you're on the injured list, you aren't throwing any innings at all. Injuries to pitchers are already such a problem, in fact, that strenuous effort is made to avoid them.

The professional life of a pitcher used to consist primarily of pitching, in games and in bullpen sessions between them. When Jim Cott, who worked in more than 900 big league games over a 25 year career, served as a pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1980s, he instructed starters to never go more than a day without throwing as much as they would throw in a game.

The professional life of a pitcher used to consist primarily of pitching, in games and in bullpen sessions between them. When Jim Cott, who worked in more than 900 big league games over a 25 year career, served as a pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1980s, he instructed starters to never go more than a day without throwing as much as they would throw in a game.

He believed that pitchers shouldn't expect to complete a nine inning game if they couldn't even do that in practice.

He believed that pitchers shouldn't expect to complete a nine inning game if they couldn't even do that in practice.

These days, the act of actually throwing a ball toward a batter has been scaffolded with a regimen of exercises designed to increase velocity, but also, theoretically at least, to help prevent the ligament tears and other breakdowns that are prematurely ending seasons and even careers. Pitchers are certainly throwing harder, yet they're still getting hurt.

These days, the act of actually throwing a ball toward a batter has been scaffolded with a regimen of exercises designed to increase velocity, but also, theoretically at least, to help prevent the ligament tears and other breakdowns that are prematurely ending seasons and even careers. Pitchers are certainly throwing harder, yet they're still getting hurt.

And it may be that, to Kott's point, all this scaffolding at the expense of throwing is increasing the likelihood that complete games will, like 400 batting averages, soon exist only in the record books. One recent Thursday in Bradenton, Skeens stood under a portico outside the Pirates' clubhouse at 9 AM, swinging a weighted pendulum.

And it may be that, to Kott's point, all this scaffolding at the expense of throwing is increasing the likelihood that complete games will, like 400 batting averages, soon exist only in the record books. One recent Thursday in Bradenton, Skeens stood under a portico outside the Pirates' clubhouse at 9 AM, swinging a weighted pendulum.

After that, he picked up a medicine ball and hurled it against a concrete wall in a simulacrum of his pitching motion. Next, he strapped an oversized plastic tube filled with water onto his back, stepped to the top of a ramp with the same downward slope as a pitching mound, and took a stride while flinging his right shoulder forward.

After that, he picked up a medicine ball and hurled it against a concrete wall in a simulacrum of his pitching motion. Next, he strapped an oversized plastic tube filled with water onto his back, stepped to the top of a ramp with the same downward slope as a pitching mound, and took a stride while flinging his right shoulder forward.

He grabbed a weighted ball and flipped it backhanded against the wall, then threw it from the top of the ramp. Satisfied, he walked under the stands and onto the field. Still, he wasn't ready to pitch. He spent the next few minutes tossing a football to a coach. He continued his game of catch with a baseball.

He grabbed a weighted ball and flipped it backhanded against the wall, then threw it from the top of the ramp. Satisfied, he walked under the stands and onto the field. Still, he wasn't ready to pitch. He spent the next few minutes tossing a football to a coach. He continued his game of catch with a baseball.

When that was finished, he went back under the stands and across a brilliant green lawn to a mound where Jason DeLay, one of Pittsburgh's catchers, waited in full gear. Skeens tossed a ball to delay from in front of the mound a few times. Then he stepped back on the rubber and for the first time that day, started to throw actual pitches. As he threw, Charrington watched.

When that was finished, he went back under the stands and across a brilliant green lawn to a mound where Jason DeLay, one of Pittsburgh's catchers, waited in full gear. Skeens tossed a ball to delay from in front of the mound a few times. Then he stepped back on the rubber and for the first time that day, started to throw actual pitches. As he threw, Charrington watched.

He was monitoring his investment, but he was also clearly transfixed by the spectacle. Three pirates' coaches were clustered a few feet away, paying close attention. And underneath the portico, a group of players had stopped their own workouts to stare across the lawn at their prodigious teammate who pitches in a game on average only around once a week.

He was monitoring his investment, but he was also clearly transfixed by the spectacle. Three pirates' coaches were clustered a few feet away, paying close attention. And underneath the portico, a group of players had stopped their own workouts to stare across the lawn at their prodigious teammate who pitches in a game on average only around once a week.

Last year, Skeen's most effective pitch was a hybrid of a traditional sinker and a split-fingered fastball called the splinker, which tends to veer sharply downward as it nears the plate. As Skeens worked in the sunshine, he threw splinkers and four-seam fastballs and sliders, curves and change-ups.

Last year, Skeen's most effective pitch was a hybrid of a traditional sinker and a split-fingered fastball called the splinker, which tends to veer sharply downward as it nears the plate. As Skeens worked in the sunshine, he threw splinkers and four-seam fastballs and sliders, curves and change-ups.