Pirates Give Encouraging Injury Update on Konnor Griffin
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin isn't back from his most recent injury yet, but he's made great progress.
Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said that Griffin will transition out of the splints on his left hand and he will begin gripping the bat fully and putting his hand in the glove.
Griffin suffered a left ring finger sagittal band injury and hasn't been able to use that hand to do baseball activities as he has before.
The Pirates will also have Griffin moving down to Florida and beginning a swing progression program, another encouraging development for the rookie.
What This Means for Griffin Going Forward
Griffin essentially suffered what is known as a boxer's knuckle, a rare injury for a baseball player, during his most recent game vs. the Washington Nationals on July 5, an 11-5 win at Nationals Park.
The injury came on a diving play at shortstop for Griffin, which didn't initially cause him a ton of pain, but the Pirates eventually figured out what was wrong with him.
It occurs when an extensor tendon slips off the knuckle, hence the boxer's knuckle, which is more common in a fighting sport than baseball.
Griffin could've kept playing, but the risk of re-injury is quite high and would lead to permament damage to his left hand, hurting his ability to play at 100%
The Pirates put his three outer fingers in the splint, which lasted six weeks, and his recent visit with the hand specialist and head orthopedic surgeon and his reassessment allowed him to get out of the splint.
Griffin will have his hand taped, a part of the transition phase, but it's the start to him getting back to full baseball activities.
Why Will Griffin Go Down to Florida?
The Pirates will have Griffin go down to Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., where they have their Spring Training facility.
Griffin heading down to Bradenton allows him to fully focus on his rehab, instead of traveling with the Pirates and dealing with lesser conditions on the road.
He did this back in June, when he rehabbed from a right forearm flexor strain, before making his return.
Griffin will have everything he needs available for him in Bradenton, and will also allow him to direct his attention towards his rehab, as he wants to make his return before the end of 2026.
He has already been doing different baseball activities, like throwing and swinging the bat with his right hand, plus staying in shape the best he can, so he is ready to play once his left hand is fully healed.
The Pirates gave an injury timeline of eight-to-10 weeks, and after six weeks, that's around two-to-four weeks, so Griffin is nearing a return in the future.
Griffin is on the 60-day injured list and can't officially come back to the Pirates until Sept. 4, which falls in line with the Sept. 1-15 timeline that had set for him.
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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.