The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Sunday afternoon went from good to bad in one news report. 20-year-old shortstop Konnor Griffin landed on the injured list.
According to Pirates general manager Ben Cherington (h/t Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), Griffin was placed on the injured list after dealing with a flexor strain in his right forearm.
Cherington relayed via his radio show that Griffin was “progressing well” from the strain and was playing catch on Sunday. However, due to heading to the injured list, Griffin will miss the Pirates’ series finale with the Minnesota Twins (2-0) and will miss the upcoming series in Houston with the Astros starting on Tuesday.
Griffin struggled in his first month as a big leaguer, batting .231 with a .631 OPS and two home runs, but found his stride once the calendar flipped to May. In 98 at-bats, Griffin had two home runs, drove in nine RBI, stole seven bases and hit .306.
Griffin’s injury could prove one to keep an eye on, as flexor strains for pitchers usually indicate Tommy John surgery is right around the corner.
Where the Pirates make out well in this ordeal is that Ryan O’Hearn had been activated from the injured list. The 32-year-old was placed on the injured list in mid-May with a right quad muscle strain.
Before landing on the shelf, O’Hearn was one of the Pirates’ best hitters, with an .827 OPS and third on the team in home runs (seven). The All-Star is in the Pirates lineup as the designated hitter and batting cleanup behind Bryan Reynolds, who is in O’Hearn’s usual spot of right field.