Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby missed Team Canada’s gold medal game loss vs. Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Sunday due to a lower-body injury.
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes was among those in the group’s clubhouse Sunday morning at LECOM Park watching the action unfold.
Soon after the Americans’ 2-1 overtime triumph, Skenes — who will pitch for Team USA at the upcoming World Baseball Classic — discussed the Olympics’ victory.
“It’s pretty cool,” the NL Cy Young award winner said, according to MLB.com senior writer Anthony Castrovince. “It’s what we’re walking into.”
Skenes and company open their tournament play on March 6 in Houston against Brazil.
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“I watched the movie ‘Miracle,’ and I’ve watched the Olympics and the 2017 WBC when Team USA won,” 23-year-old said. “And I’ve also gotten the chance to play for Team USA a couple times. We haven’t won the gold yet. It’s not a good feeling to go to another country and lose to them. We’re looking to change that.”
Skenes told Castrovince that donning the red, white and blue in the WBC is “bigger than all of us.”
The Pirates begin their 2026 season vs. the New York Mets on March 26, but for Skenes, the competition will heat up in less than two weeks.
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The two-time All-Star will depart Pittsburgh’s Spring Training on March 1 and head to Arizona to train with Team USA, five days ahead of the Americans’ WBC opener.
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