Paul Skenes was seen soaking up some downtime on the beach with his girlfriend, social media star Livvy Dunne, as scrutiny continues to build over his weight and recent form on the mound.
The 24-year-old MLB pitcher raised fresh concern among Pittsburgh Pirates fans on Tuesday after he was pulled from his latest start, another troubling outing in what has become a difficult season.
One day before that appearance, the reigning NL Cy Young winner was photographed enjoying his off day with Dunne, who is set to appear in the upcoming Baywatch project, in images obtained by Our News Outlet.
Skenes and Dunne, the former gymnast, were spotted walking along the white sand in Key Biscayne, Florida, before the Pirates opened their series against the Marlins in Miami.
Dunne wore a sleek black-and-white bikini as she showed off her athletic frame, even breaking into her signature Baywatch-style run while emerging from the waves.
Skenes, meanwhile, ditched his blue T-shirt and relaxed in swim trunks and a white cap during the couple’s beach outing.
Paul Skenes went shirtless during a beach stroll with girlfriend Livvy Dunne
The baseball star’s day at the beach came during a stretch of concerning performances on the mound
His ‘dad bod’ appearance came as Pirates MLB reporter John Perrotto suggested that some have attributed Skenes’s recent dip in performance to his ‘weight gain.’
‘Multiple people have said Skenes looks heavier this season and less athletic,’ Perrotto wrote. ‘They cite the possibility of carrying extra weight slowing down his delivery and causing the drop in his fastball velocity.’
Meanwhile, MLB legend Curt Schilling hinted that Skenes’s arm may be overworked, leading to the drop in velocity.
‘The Athletic has an article asking what’s wrong with Paul Skenes. Go back and check my social media BEFORE the WBC, and then the posts regarding his mechanics,’ Schilling wrote on Wednesday. ‘I am not Carnac, I just did his job for a living and have studied it my entire life. This was predictable, and I predicted it.’
Last August, long before the World Baseball Classic, Schilling had responded to another social media post, writing: ‘Might be the worst take in history of a delivery. Paul Skenes is a max effort thrower. ‘effortless without much strain’? Hate to be harsh but that was spoken as if you’ve never thrown a ball or don’t play the sport.’
He added: ‘Skenes mechanics will make it very hard for him to take on that workload unless he can tone down the effort. He won’t LOSE anything, but will gain long term benefits.’
Skenes was pulled from Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Marlins after throwing just five innings, including just 65 pitches.
He yielded just two runs against Miami, striking out four, but did serve up a solo homer in the bottom of the third and an RBI single in the fifth.
The reigning NL Cy Young winner was yanked from the mound during a 2-0 loss to Miami
Dunne set pulses racing on MLB All-Star day when she hit the red carpet with Skenes in July
The pitcher, who claimed the Cy Young title last season after hitting 99 mph or higher on his fastball 68 times, did not exceed 96.5 mph on his heater during the matchup at loanDepot park.
The numbers are far from what fans are accustomed to seeing from the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, sparking concerns among the Pirates fanbase.
‘If I were the manager I’d probably do it too,’ Skenes said, according to USA Today. ‘He walked me through everything and it all made sense.
‘Wish I could have gone more but, you know, it kind of is what it is.’
Pirates manager Don Kelly insisted the decision to pull the ace was not motivated by injury concerns.
‘Anybody this time of year is… not injured, but guys in August aren’t 100 percent,’ Kelly told reporters, per MLB.com. ‘It wasn’t injury-related that he came out. Just thought it gave us the best chance to win there.’
Skenes’s struggles have come amid Dunne’s shooting for the upcoming Baywatch series in California alongside the likes of Brooks Nader, Stephen Amell, Noah Beck and more.
The numbers are far from what fans are accustomed to seeing from the 2023 No. 1 overall pick
The reboot will air on Fox from an as-yet-unspecified date, likely to be in 2027.
The pair have been dating since their days at LSU, and she recently joined him on the red carpet in Philadelphia ahead of the 2026 All-Star Game.
Livvy regularly follows her man around the country to watch him pitch in the major leagues, and she often posts photos of herself sitting in the stands during his games.
When asked how they manage to juggle their respective schedules to find time for each other, Dunne said in February: ‘Honestly, I don’t think we have any rules. I just think being super present with one another while you’re together, while you have that time together, is super important.’
‘I mean, he makes time to come to my events,’ she added. ‘I make time to go watch him pitch. I try to make every start I can.’
