Pirates Give Latest on Jared Triolo: Nearing Return Timeline
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have been without their best defensive infielder for some time now, but are optimistic he'll return sooner rather than later.
Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk reported that infielder Jared Triolo has resumed almost all baseball activities, that he has transitioned down to Bradenton, Fla. where the Pirates Spring Training site is and will run the bases at some point next week.
It's encouraging news for Triolo, who suffered a patellar tendon injury in the home opener vs. the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park on April 3, rounding third base on a run scored.
Triolo stayed in the game, but didn't feature in the next one and then the Pirates placed him on the 10-day injured list on April 5.
When the Pirates Expect Triolo Returning
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said that the injury to Triolo would, "take weeks, not days," to heal on his radio show back on April 5.
Tomczyk said that it has technically been weeks. as he's almost two weeks since suffering the injury, but that they're confident in his progression and that he's headed in the right direction.
“Once we see him run the bases next week, I think we’ll have a better idea of resuming sim game activities and baseball game activities," Tomczyk said. "We’re about two-plus weeks right now, which is not uncommon for this type of injury. Again, most importantly, he’s making some nice strides. He transitioned down to Florida, Bradenton to continue his rehab. To pin-point a mark, we’re not there yet.”
What Pirates Have Done With Infield in Triolo's Absence
Triolo was the starting shortstop to begin the 2026 season, but rookie Konnor Griffin made his debut the same day Triolo suffered the injury and has been the Pirates starting shortstop.
He moved over to third base, but only started there one game before going on the injured list. Triolo is best suited at third base, as he's been great defensively, as he has 13 defensive runs saved (DRS) and nine outs above average (OAA) in his career.
The Pirates have mostly gone with both Nick Yorke and Nick Gonzales as the starting third base, with Yorke starting there 10 games and Gonzales starting seven games.
Yorke has been strong defensively at third base, with two OAA and one DRS so far in 2026, as he looks to solidify more playing time there.
Triolo was a Gold Glove Award winner in 2024 as a utility player and was a finalist last season, making him someone the Pirates would love to have back in the left side of their infield.
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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.