The wait for Paul Skenes is finally over. The Pirates announced on Wednesday that they are promoting their top prospect to the Majors. Skenes, a fireballing right-hander, is scheduled to make his first start on Saturday against the Cubs at PNC Park (4:05 p.m. ET), according to the club.

Skenes was the first overall pick in last year’s Draft and is currently ranked as the No. 3 prospect, and top pitcher, in the game by MLB Pipeline. The 6-foot-6 Skenes burst onto the national scene last year with Louisiana State University, being named the Division I National Player of the Year and leading his school to the College World Series title.

Armed with a fastball that consistently registers in the triple digits and a wipeout slider, Skenes certainly lived up to the hype during his time in the Minors this year, where he recorded a 0.99 ERA and 45 strikeouts over 27 1/3 innings with Triple-A Indianapolis. He has also developed his pitch repertoire in his time as a professional, mixing in his changeup, curveball and “splinker” (a sinker-splitter hybrid) more, adding additional weapons to his arsenal.

The long wait on his return finally came to an end on Monday as Buehler made his first start in the Majors since June 10, 2022, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out four over four innings of work in the Dodgers’ 6-3 win over the Marlins at Dodger Stadium.

Before the game, manager Dave Roberts said he didn’t expect to see high velocity numbers for Buehler in his first start back. Buehler had other plans. With some expected adrenaline, Buehler’s four-seam fastball was sitting at 96 mph, getting up to as high as 97.6 mph.

Buehler feeding off extra adrenaline was expected, but so was some rust. Despite the tick up in velocity, the Marlins were able to attack Buehler’s fastball, jumping out to an early lead just two batters into the game. Miami tacked on a second run in the first inning and Nick Gordon hit a solo homer in the second for the third run against Buehler in the first two frames of the game.

How he got that third one to fall for a homerun is beyond me

On Saturday, following a three-hour rain delay, the Chicago White Sox's 6-5 10-inning victory over the St. Louis Cardinals ended abruptly, thanks to a controversial call by Bucknor. Once the rain subsided and play resumed, the Cardinals left the bases loaded after the umpire rang up pinch-hitter Ivan Herrera on an outside pitch for strike three to end the game.

This isn't the first time this week that Bucknor's decisions have drawn the ire of the baseball community. On Wednesday, former Baltimore Orioles pitcher and MASN in-game analyst Jim Palmer criticized a low strike call by Bucknor in a game against the New York Yankees, saying "he shouldn't be umpiring."

The San Diego Padres are nearing a deal to acquire second baseman Luis Arraez from the Miami Marlins for reliever Woo-Suk Go and prospects Dillon Head, Jakob Marsee, and Nathan Martorella, a source told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Friday night.

The trade is pending medical review but is expected to be finalized soon.

The transaction represents the first significant move for the Marlins since Peter Bendix took over as the team's president of baseball operations in November after Kim Ng departed. It marks the beginning of the Marlins' teardown of an underachieving roster that has produced the third-worst record in the majors at 9-25 with a minus-61 run differential after reaching the postseason in 2023.