Pirates GM Reveals Exciting Konnor Griffin News After 18 Missed Games
Pittsburgh Pirates fans received a great update on the condition of their young shortstop Konnor Griffin.
The 20-year-old has not played a game for Pittsburgh since May 31 after going down to the 10-day injured list with a right elbow strain. He has missed 18 games coming into Sunday.
During his injury, the Pirates have played under .500 baseball.
Griffin was a huge offensive spark plug to the Pirates offense during his 51 games played this season. He slashed .270/.327/.402 with four home runs, 22 RBIs, nine doubles, 14 stolen bases and 51 hits in 189 at bats.
Griffin resumed baseball activities earlier this month and is seemingly nearing a return.
Per Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "On his weekly radio show, Pirates GM Ben Cherington says he expects Konnor Griffin to play rehab games before the end of the week 'barring something unforeseen.' Expects Griffin to be in Pittsburgh (for a check-in) before then."
On his weekly radio show, Pirates GM Ben Cherington says he expects Konnor Griffin to play rehab games before the end of the week "barring something unforeseen."
— Colin Beazley (@colin_beazley) June 21, 2026
Expects Griffin to be in Pittsburgh (for a check-in) before then.
Griffin will likely start his rehab assignment where he began the 2026 season, with Triple-A Indianapolis. In his five games there before his major league call up, Griffin hit to a 1.196 OPS in five games.
Pittsburgh is eagerly awaiting his return to their lineup.
Despite a lot of promise going into the 2026 season and a solid start to the year, the Pirates currently sit in fourth place of the National League Central division with a 38-39 record.
The Pirates actually have one of the best offensive units in baseball with a .740 team OPS, which ranks 5th in the league. Their pitching has been mostly great as well, posting a team ERA of 4.16.
But those two sides of the team cannot seem to be on the same wavelength each game. This is especially apparent when looking at pirates ace pitcher Paul Skenes.
The team has lost the last seven of Skenes starts. While Skenes has put up a 4.03 ERA during that span, it always seems to be his defense which is failing him before his offense.
With Griffin back, the Pirates will be back to having another feared spot in the lineup that con protect their pitchers and get the team some run support.
We will likely receive more news on Griffin and his condition throughout the week and see if he is able to make a minor league rehab appearance within the week.
The Pirates finish off their series in Colorado on Sunday before heading back home.
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This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 4:08 PM.