The Pittsburgh Pirates will push Paul Skenes' next start back three days, moving him from Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox to Wednesday's matchup with the Detroit Tigers. Manager Don Kelly confirmed the decision was not injury-related, though it comes during the worst stretch of the ace's career.

Skenes, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, has seen his velocity drop significantly this season. Against the Miami Marlins earlier this week, he averaged a career-low 95.7 mph on his fastball, down from his season average of 96.8 mph and well below last year's 98.1 mph mark. The 24-year-old right-hander expressed support for Kelly's decision, citing fatigue as a potential factor.

"It certainly can't hurt in terms of recovery," Skenes said. "In the long run, it's definitely best to just get some recovery time."

Over his last nine starts, Skenes has posted a 5.79 ERA, contributing to the Pirates' struggles. Pittsburgh has lost 16 of its last 23 games and currently sits in last place in the NL Central, 6.5 games out of the final wild-card spot. Lake Bachar is scheduled to start Sunday's series finale against Boston.

Despite the recent difficulties, Skenes maintains a 3.88 ERA with 166 strikeouts in 134.2 innings this season, ranking fourth in the NL in strikeouts.