Konnor Griffin Gets Closer to Pirates Return
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have missed Konnor Griffin's play in June, but he is taking a big step to coming back.
Griffin will start a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on June 24, per Pirates manager Don Kelly. which marks his first game play this month and puts him on the right track to making his eventual return to the major leagues.
He had success with Altoona last season, slashing .337/.418/.542 for an OPS of .960 in 21 games, with 28 hits in 83 at-bats, two doubles, five home runs, 22 RBI and six stolen bases on eight attempts, helping them secure a spot in the playoffs.
Griffin will play with Altoona at Peoples Natural Gas Park, their home ball park, as they face Reading (Philadelphia Phillies) for a six-game series, June 23-28,
When Will Griffin Return?
The rehab assignment is a big step for Griffin, who has been hoping to get back to the major leagues as soon as he can.
Griffin has been dealing with a right forearm flexor strain, which prevented him from fielding, although allowed him to play designated hitter and also as a pinch-runner.
The Pirates rookie shortstop went on the 10-day injured list back on May 31 and started his throwing program on June 10, before moving his rehab down to Bradenton, Fla., the location of Pirates spring training site, on the team's past road trip.
Neither Kelly nor Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk gave an official return timeline for Griffin, as they're still figuring out how long he'll need in terms of adjusting back to play following almost four weeks since playing shortstop.
"We're still working through that as far as an exact timeline of what that looks like, but I think we're going to take it day by day and just see how he's responding to everything," Kelly said. "Sounds like yesterday and today went well with the challenging throws on relays and stuff in the hole. Just get him back into game action and see how he's doing with the arm, rhythm and timing of the at-bats. Look to get him back up here."
Tomczyk did say that the work Griffin put down in Florida helped him get ready for this rehab assignment, but they'll see how he adjusts to playing back in real games this week to determine when he could return to MLB.
“Medical boxes in regards to the speed of the game and making throws. Yes he was stressed and strained in different angles with the rehab down in Florida, up here in Pittsburgh, but that’s challenging at times when you’re talking about game speed.”
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.