Skenes (6-7, 2.86 ERA) squares off against Andrew Abbott (5-4, 3.83 ERA) for a 6:40 PM ET first pitch Friday at PNC Park. The record next to Skenes' name is a lie — this is a guy pitching as well as anyone in the NL — but Abbott has his own thing going, returning to form after a brutal April to emerge as the legitimate ace Cincinnati counted on him to be when they handed him Opening Day.
The Reds come in having just been swept at home by the Brewers for the first time since 2024, dropping to 37-42 and sitting 12 games back in the NL Central. The one piece of good news for Cincinnati is that Elly De La Cruz is back in the lineup after missing 19 games with a hamstring strain — he was hitting .280/.346/.509 with 12 home runs before going down. Getting him back matters, even if the Brewers series proved it won't be a magic fix overnight.
The number that defines this game: Pittsburgh has lost 7 straight starts with Skenes on the mound. The offense has been held to 2 runs or fewer in 5 of those 7 outings, totaling just 19 runs of support across the stretch. In his last start, Skenes went 6 innings, allowed 2 earned runs, and struck out 8 against the Rockies at Coors Field — and still took the loss. Pittsburgh is coming off back-to-back wins over Seattle, including an 11-1 dismantling Wednesday, which at least suggests the bats have a pulse heading into Friday.
- Day-To-DayNick Lodolo SP — Reds manager Terry Francona said that Lodolo (wrist) "showed up pretty good" when he reported to the ballpark Wednesday, Charlie Clifford of NBC 5 Cincinnati reports.
- Day-To-DayConnor Burns C — no
- 10-Day-ILKe'Bryan Hayes 3B — Hayes (back) has begun hitting at the Reds' training facility in Arizona, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILEmilio Pagan RP — Pagan (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment Thursday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
- 60-Day-ILHunter Greene SP — Reds manager Terry Francona said Wednesday that Greene (elbow) will make one more rehab start with Triple-A Louisville on Sunday, Charlie Clifford of NBC 5 Cincinnati reports.
- 60-Day-ILBrandon Williamson SP — Williamson (shoulder) tossed a bullpen session Saturday, his first since landing on the injured list April 30, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
- 60-Day-ILGraham Ashcraft RP — Ashcraft (elbow) received a platelet-rich plasma injection Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
- OutCarson Spiers SP — The Reds re-signed Spiers (elbow) to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training Monday.
- Day-To-DayJared Jones SP — no
- Day-To-DayAnthony Solometo SP — Solometo underwent left shoulder labrum surgery and is expected to be sidelined until at least April 2027, Mark Chiarelli of Baseball America reports.
- Day-To-DayMitch Jebb LF
- Day-To-DayOddanier Mosqueda RP — Mosqueda will not throw for a couple weeks due to left forearm inflammation, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
- Day-To-DayMike Clevinger RP — Clevinger is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks after being diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his right knee, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DaySean Sullivan SP — Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Sullivan is battling right elbow soreness, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
- 10-Day-ILSpencer Horwitz 1B — The Pirates placed Horwitz on the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a left hamstring strain.
- 10-Day-ILKonnor Griffin SS — Manager Don Kelly announced that Griffin (forearm) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on Tuesday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Abbott has quietly become one of the more reliable arms Cincinnati has right now. After posting a 7.22 ERA in April, he turned into a different pitcher in May — 1.61 ERA across 5 starts — and has carried it into June. His last outing was a quality win against the Yankees: 5 innings, 1 earned run, 6 strikeouts. He now gets a Pittsburgh lineup that has been historically bad in Skenes starts, which is either the perfect matchup for him or a cruel joke depending on how you feel about this Reds squad in 2026.
Both clubs are trying to figure something out. Pittsburgh is 41-40 — alive in the NL Central but stuck in neutral, with Oneil Cruz out 4-6 weeks and Spencer Horwitz just hitting the IL. Cincinnati is below .500, 2-15 against NL Central opponents, and badly needs to start beating teams it should be competitive against. Friday is a chance for one team to gain a little clarity about what it is.