Tyler Skaggs made his big-league debut for the Diamondbacks on August 22, but in the six starts since then the former first-round pick hasn’t looked like the guy who ranks among the elite pitching prospects in baseball.
He allowed 20 runs in 29 innings and showed decreased velocity, averaging just 89.4 miles per hour with his fastball.
And now the Diamondbacks have decided to shut him down. Skaggs has been scratched from tonight’s scheduled start, with Josh Collmenter taking his place against the Giants, and he won’t pitch again this season after totaling 152 innings in the majors and minors.
“Body feels fine, arm feels fine, it’s just a front-office decision,” Skaggs said, via Steve Gilbert of MLB.com “I wasn’t happy about it, but it is what it is.”
Skaggs not being thrilled about it isn’t surprising, but playing it safe with a 21-year-old rookie when you’re not in contention seems like the smart move.
