Olivia Dunne’s boyfriend, Paul Skenes, promoted to Double-A weeks after draft

Paul Skenes is having a memorable month each on and off the sector.

The Pirates’ No. 1 choose within the MLB draft in July and the recently-confirmed boyfriend of Olivia Dunne, LSU’s viral sensation, Skenes was promoted to Pittsburgh’s Double-A affiliate Altoona on Monday, the team announced.

Skenes, 21, a fireballing right-hander, confirmed he was courting Dunne, 20, in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last Friday.

The pitcher, who attended LSU and was an important a part of the varsity’s nationwide championship crew in June, stated he met Dunne via his greatest buddy, who’s courting Elena Marenas, Dunne’s roommate and gymnastics teammate on the faculty. 

“Only a small-world sort of factor,” Skenes stated about his newly-revealed relationship.

Skenes wowed followers — and clearly the Pirates brass — along with his Single-A debut, by which Dunne, who was also in attendance, watched the 6-foot-6 righty throw one inning and strike out two whereas topping out at 100 mph.

In three outings throughout Single-A and the advanced league, Skenes has tossed 4 scoreless innings with 5 punchouts, permitting just one hit and no walks.

The Pirates are limiting Skenes’ workload this season due to his hefty innings whole with LSU final season, by which he threw 122 2/3 innings, averaging a staggering 103 pitches over his final 19 outings.

“I believe as we’ve gone via the yr, we knew there was going to be a development to the place he was going to go, and we’re simply taking one other step within the development,” Pirates supervisor Derek Shelton stated. “Having simply watched the begins on video, he’s finished a very nice job and been very spectacular, so we’ll proceed to progress him as our baseball ops group feels is acceptable.”

Pittsburgh basic supervisor Ben Cherington stated the innings restrict is an element of a bigger plan with the prized right-hander.

“We predict it’s helped him be absolutely engaged within the work between begins and have a extra regular pitcher expertise even when we’re being conservative with the amount, then assist him get into a standard offseason to arrange to be a beginning pitcher in 2024, wherever that begins.”