PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes is officially a big leaguer.
The Pittsburgh Pirates promoted the hard-throwing right-hander and top overall pick in last year's amateur draft to their roster on Saturday ahead of Skenes' start against the Chicago Cubs.
Skenes dominated at Triple-A Indianapolis, posting a 0.99 ERA in seven starts.
To make room for Skenes, the Pirates designated right-hander Roansy Contreras for assignment. Contreras, acquired as part of the trade that sent pitcher Jameson Taillon to the New York Yankees in January 2021, has struggled most of the last two seasons and was out of options.
The 24-year-old Contreras, who was a starter for much of his first three seasons, has been working out of the bullpen this year. He is 1-0 with a 4.41 ERA in 12 appearances.
The Pirates also placed third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes on the injured list with back problems. Hayes missed Pittsburgh's last two games entering Saturday. The team recalled infielder Alika Williams from Triple-A to take Hayes' spot on the roster.
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Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes throws out Oakland Athletics' Nick Allen at first base during the third inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Pittsburgh Pirates' Paul Skenes meets with reporters before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Pittsburgh, Friday, May 10, 2024. Skenes will make his Major League debut Saturday against the Cubs. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
PHOENIX (AP) — A judge on Friday rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters will use to weigh a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Whitten said the wording the legislative council suggested is “packed with emotion and partisan meaning” and asked for what he called more “neutral” language. The measure aims to expand abortion access from 15 weeks to 24 weeks – the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb.
It would allow exemptions to save the woman’s life or to protect her physical or mental health. It would also prevent the state from adopting or enforcing laws that would forbid access to the procedure.
Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, who is a co-chair of the legislative council, said the group will appeal the court’s decision to the state Supreme Court.
“The ruling is just plain wrong and clearly partisan,” said Toma, a Republican.
Aaron Thacker, communications director for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, noted that the final decision on the ballot itself remains in the air.
“There’s still a lot of scenarios at play," he said. "Even after the secretary certifies the signatures, the courts have to decide if counties can put it on the ballot or not."
Arizona for Abortion Access, the organization leading the ballot measure campaign, sued the council earlier this month over the suggested language and advocated for the term “fetus,” which the council rejected.
Attorney General Kris Mayes wrote in a motion to submit an amicus brief that “fetus" and “pregnancy” are both neutral terms that the council could adopt.
“It’s incredibly important to us that Arizona voters get to learn more about and weigh our measure in objective and accurate terminology,” said Dawn Penich, communications director for the abortion access group.
Democrats have centered abortion rights in their campaigns in this year’s elections. Organizers in five other states have also proposed similar measures that would codify abortion access in their state constitutions: Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and South Dakota.
Arizona organizers submitted more than double the amount of signatures needed for the measure to appear on the ballot.
FILE - Arizona abortion-rights supporters deliver over 800,000 petition signatures to the capitol to get abortion rights on the November general election ballot July 3, 2024, in Phoenix. A judge on Friday, July 26, rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters will use to decide on a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
