Pirates Replace Konnor Griffin With New Trade Piece
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are back from the All-Star break and have a new member of their infield starting in their first game back.
Jacob Gonzalez starts at shortstop and bats eighth for the Pirates, as they face the Cleveland Guardians in the series opener at Progressive Field on July 17.
Gonzalez came along in a trade just a week ago with the Chicago White Sox, along with left-handed relief pitcher Brandon Eisert, with the Pirates sending their Competitive Balance Round A pick (34th overall) in the 2026 MLB Draft and left-handed relief pitcher prospect Jaden Woods back on July 10.
The Pirates won't have shortstop Konnor Griffin back for the long-term and Gonzalez can take advantage of this opportunity he has.
Why Pirates Need Gonzalez at Shortstop
Griffin was the Pirates everyday shortstop since making his debut on April 3, but injuries have hurt him since the end of May.
He dealt with a right forearm flexor strain, that saw him miss 22 games from May 31 to June 25, came back for a three-game home series vs. the Cincinnati Reds, June 26-28, then a seven-game road series vs. the Philadelphia Phillies, June 29-July 2, and the Washington Nationals, July 3-5.
Griffin suffered another injury in his last game vs. the Nationals, a left ring finger sagittal band injury, which is rare, but has shut him down for about two months.
The Pirates transferred Griffin from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list, so the earliest he can come back, even with his injury return timeline of eight-to-10 weeks, is early-to-mid September.
Gonzalez comes in as middle infield help, particularly at shortstop, playing 209 games at the position in the minor leagues.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington noted in his press release post-trade that they will have Gonzalez play at shortstop and this marks his first game doing so for the Pirates.
What Pirates Fans Should Expect From Gonzalez
Gonzalez played 31 games for the White Sox in 2026, but 30 of those came at first base, with 24 starts, so this is his first start at shortstop in his major league career.
He is a left-handed bat that projects good power and has a strong pull air %, which bodes well for hitting home runs at PNC Park.
The Pirates also don't really have any left-handed bats on the left side of the infield with both third baseman Nick Gonzales and Jared Triolo hitting right-handed. Tyler Callihan does hit left-handed, but will feature more in the outfield and on the right side of the infield at second base and first base.
Gonzalez also hit well this season for Triple-A Charlotte, slashing .320/.422/.675 for an OPS of 1.097 in 53 games, with 19 home runs, 12 doubles and 63 RBI.
The Pirates will want to see some power from Gonzalez and strong fielding at shortstop, keeping the offense strong even with the absence of Griffin.
Pirates Lineup vs. Guardians
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Jake Mangum | Center Field | Switch |
Brandon Lowe | Second Base | Left |
Bryan Reynolds | Left Field | Switch |
Esmerlyn Valdez | Right Field | Right |
Ryan O'Hearn | First Base | Left |
Nick Gonzales | Third Base | Right |
Marcell Ozuna | Designated Hitter | Right |
Jacob Gonzalez | Shortstop | Left |
Henry Davis | Catcher | Right |
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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.