Pirates Reveal Next Step for Konnor Griffin's Rehab Assignment
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin is nearing his full return, but still has a few things to do before he makes it back to the major leagues.
The Pirates transferred Griffin's rehab assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis, where he will play against Toledo (Detroit Tigers) in the next series beginning on Sept. 1.
Griffin began his rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on Aug. 30, playing seven innings at shortstop against Erie (Tigers) at Peoples Natural Gas Field and going 1-for-3 with a single and two strikeouts.
The Pirates can activate Griffin from the 60-day injured list on Sept. 4, so this is likely the last move for him before rejoining the major league team.
Why The Pirates Changed Griffin's Rehab Assignment
The Pirates normally have their injured players on rehab assignments play with the home minor league team, instead of traveling out west.
Both Indianapolis and Altoona are on the road this week, with Indianapolis in Toledo and Altoona in Harrisburg (Washington Nationals) for the next six games.
Griffin joining Indianapolis gives him a higher level of competition at Triple-A than Double-A and will prepare him for his eventual return to Pittsburgh.
He only played five games at Triple-A, all coming at the beginning of this season, before the Pirates called him up for his MLB debut on April 3.
When Does Griffin Return to Pirates?
The Pirates can bring Griffin back on Sept. 4, which is the series opener vs. the Los Angeles Angels at PNC Park.
Griffin starting this rehab assignment and continuing it marks his first game since July 5, 56 days or eight weeks since he suffered his left right finger sagittal band injury in the 11-5 win over the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.
He had his three outer fingers in a splint and then came out of it after six weeks on Aug. 17, the original plan for him, progressing to medical tape.
Griffin stayed in shape before that, working on different aspects of his game, but soon started gripping the bat and putting his hand on the glove.
He then moved his rehab to Bradenton, Fla., ahead of the Pirates' latest road trip, taking advantage of the team's facility and putting his full attention towards his recovery.
Griffin soon began his swinging progression and is now playing games again, so he's on the right track towards a return to the Pirates this weekend.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington didn't confirm they would bring him back on that date when he last spoke on The Pirates Insider Show on 93.7 The Fan, as they want to see how he handles playing once again.
If Griffin shows the Pirates he can hit, field and steal bases as he did before this injury, he should return in the coming days.
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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.