It sounds like it's going to be a while before the Pittsburgh Pirates see rookie phenom Konnor Griffin again.
The young shortstop has been on the 10-day injured list since May 31 with a low grade right forearm strain.
Griffin told reporters that he thinks the plan is to begin throwing tomorrow, but Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said the shortstop still needs to be cleared by team physicians, which should happen in the next few days.
According to Tomczyk, Griffin's ligament is "stable" and surgery is not currently being considered. The senior director also said that once Griffin throws from 90 feet, how he responds will ultimately determine his timeline to return.
Griffin saw Dr. Keith Meister, who recommended more weeks of rest as opposed to coming back after the 10-day minimum IL stint.
So, the Pirates are taking it slow and being careful with their prized rookie infielder. Griffin, 20, was selected at No. 9 overall out of high school by the Pirates in the 2024 MLB Draft. He was their top ranked position player prospect in 2025.
The Pirates called up Griffin to make his major league debut on April 3. From there, Griffin provided an immediate spark, slashing .270/.327/.402 with a .729 OPS, four home runs, 22 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 51 games.
Jared Triolo has been filling in for Griffin at shortstop since he landed on the IL. However, Triolo doesn't provide nearly as much of an offensive threat as Griffin. In 34 games, Triolo is hitting just .222/.287/.253 with a .540 OPS and six RBI. But he does bring speed to the lineup, matching Griffin's 14 stolen bases this year.
Pittsburgh could really use Griffin's bat back in their lineup, but it appears that it will be a while longer before they see him come off the IL. That being said, the good news is that the shortstop is close to starting a throwing program.
The Pirates enter play on Tuesday with a 34-32 record and eight games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central division. They're just a half-game out of the third and final Wild Card spot in the NL.
