The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to stay afloat in the NL Wild Card race, but after the latest report, it may be an uphill battle.
Up next on the Pirates’ schedule is the Atlanta Braves, who are coming into town for a three-game MLB series this week.
Before the Braves series, the Pirates received some tough news on their rookie phenom shortstop Konnor Griffin, who may be sidelined for the remainder of the 2026 season.
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Pirates Get Tough Konnor Griffin Injury Update
GettyPHOENIX, ARIZONA – MAY 07: Konnor Griffin #6 of the Pittsburgh Pirates reacts during the MLB game at Chase Field on May 07, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Pirates defeated the Diamondbacks 4-2. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Konnor Griffin is headed to the IL once again after reports surfaced on Tuesday afternoon that he has a torn tendon in his left hand.
MLBTR.com’s Steve Adams aggregated the report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan:
“Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin has been diagnosed with a torn tendon in the ring finger on his left hand, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passa. He could continue trying to play through the injury, but the Bucs are leaning toward shutting him down and letting the injury heal, per the report. That’d keep Griffin out of action more than a month.”
Well, the verdict is in, and Griffin will miss around eight to ten weeks with the torn tendon in his hand, which would put his return timeline around mid-September.
Griffin had just missed about a month with an elbow strain and now suffers another injury setback in what has been a solid rookie campaign.
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Konnor Griffin’s Rookie Campaign Thus Far
GettyPITTSBURGH, PA – APRIL 03: Konnor Griffin #6 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in action in his major league debut against the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park on April 3, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Well, if this ends up being it, Konnor Griffin has batted .276 over 220+ at-bats this season with five home runs, 62 hits, 35 runs scored, 25 RBI, and an OPS+ of 101. His slashline is: .276/.332/.404.
The Pirates inked Konnor Griffin to a nine-year, $140 million extension before he ever played an MLB game.
Now, with the Pirates battling several injuries to their everyday hitters, Pittsburgh will need to muster up offense in different ways.
CBSSports.com’s RotoWire staff wrote (on 7/7):
“Per director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk, Griffin will wear a splint for six weeks and is expected to be sidelined for 8-to-10 weeks. That puts the rookie on the shelf until early September, at minimum, which is a massive blow to the Pirates and Griffin’s fantasy managers. Jared Triolo will likely handle the bulk of the playing time at shortstop for the Pirates while Griffin is out.”
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