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Pirates lose Konnor Griffin to a potential serious injury
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pirates lose star shortstop Konnor Griffin to a potential serious injury

By Zachary Cariola  |  Last updated Jun 1, 2026 8:00 AM ET
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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. 

The Pirates make an interesting decision regarding Carmen Mlodzinski

Among adding Griffin to the injured list and O'Hearn returning, the Pirates made another interesting decision, sending right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski to the restricted list. Placing Mlodzinski on the restricted list is an eyebrow raiser, as the 27-year-old made comments about not wanting to move from the starting rotation to the bullpen. 

The Pirates moved Mlodzinski to the bullpen when right-hander Jared Jones was reinstated from the injured list. Jones pitched in place of Mlodzinski on Friday against the Twins and allowed five earned runs in 4.1 innings. 

The restricted list covers a wide variety of situations, from a player contemplating retirement or leaving the team without a reason; players on the restricted list do not get paid. Regardless, an explanation from Cherington as to why Mlodzinski is on the restricted list should prove to be an interesting quote.

To replace Mlodzinski on the active roster, the Pirates recalled right-hander Cam Sanders from Triple-A Indianapolis. 

The Pirates are limited on options to play shortstop while Konnor Griffin is out

With Griffin out, even on the short end, as Cherington said, the Pirates are limited on their options on who to play at short. Jared Triolo will likely get the majority of the playing time at shortstop, but he has shown this season that shortstop is not his best position. 

In 83.0 innings (10 games), Triolo produced -29 defensive runs saved and made two errors. Triolo's poor play at shortstop prompted the Pirates to call up Griffin to replace him. 

On the 40-man roster, the Pirates have minor leaguer Jack Brannigan, but the 25-year-old is on the 7-day injured list.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. When I’m not writing, I love spending time with my family and learning history. 

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