Pirates Taking Caution During Konnor Griffin's Return
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PITTSBURGH — Konnor Griffin is finally back with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but that doesn't mean the team is taking any chances with him.
Griffin isn't in the lineup, as the Pirates take on the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on June 27, with Jared Triolo playing shortstop in his place.
He started shortstop in the series opener vs. the Reds on June 26, marking his first start there in more than four weeks, hitting a leadoff home run and playing all nine innings in the 6-4 defeat.
Griffin will be eager to get back out there, but the Pirates are practicing precaution with their star rookie.
What Pirates Plan With Griffin is After Injury
The Pirates just activated Griffin off the 10-day injured list ahead of the game vs. the Reds, after he dealt with a right forearm flexor strain.
Griffin's injury prevented him from playing shortstop, with pain in throwing and required time shutdown, slowly working back overtime and a throwing program, which also included a week rehab down in Bradenton, Fla. and a one game rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on June 24.
Pirates manager Don Kelly said ahead of Griffin's first game back that they didn't just go over his forearm, but had Griffin improve his entire and come back stronger than he was before, which was why he didn't pinch-hit or pinch-run while rehabbing.
“I don’t think so. I’m not sure if it was one throw. Sometimes, you don’t know if it was overuse or just an awkward relay throw on top of it" Kelly said. "I know they’ve taken major precautions in ramping this back up and doing more stability stuff.
"Everything flows from the ground up, so making sure that he’s in a really good spot from the ground all the way through the shoulder and then into the elbow and forearm. So it wasn’t just targeting his elbow. There was a lot that went into the scap, shoulder, strengthenging, stabilization to make sure he was in a really good spot to come back.”
Griffin missed the past 22 games, going on the 10-day injured list on May 31, marking the first injury of his professional career, after having a clean 2025 season.
He's had a productive season far, slashing .275/.333/.420 for an OPS of .753 in 52 games, and started shortstop almost every game he's played in.
Kelly said that it was the plan for Griffin to have a day off in this game, as their biggest goal is making sure that he can stay healthy the rest of the season and perform to the best of his ability.
"Yeah, ultimately, him being able to go for the rest of the season is the main goal," Kelly said pregame. "We're really just gonna follow what we were gonna do on the rehab assignment. I think we saw yesterday, he's in a pretty good spot rhythm and timing-wise. Getting on base, getting the legs back into it, playing nine innings for the first time yesterday, on base from the hit by pitch and the (single), planned day off today."
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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.