Pirates GM Ben Cherington gives update on Konnor Griffin

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been without rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin since May 31, and it could be longer. 

According to Pirates general manager Ben Cherington (h/t 93.7 The Fan), after getting a second opinion on Griffin's elbow in Dallas, the team is adding “days” to his timetable. The last reported update for the 20-year-old came on May 31 when it was reported he would "spend minimal time on [the] IL."

Griffin's injured list stint is slated to end on June 11, but adding "days" to his timeline was expected after the latest roster moves by the Pirates. 

Pirates' roster moves all but confirmed that Konnor Griffin would be out for more than the minimum

Ahead of their series finale with the Atlanta Braves, who lead the series 2-0, the Pirates called up infielder Davis Wendzel from Triple-A Indianapolis, which leads one to believe Griffin won't be back soon. Cherington revealed that Griffin is "almost completely asymptomatic at this point," and that he's "going to attack this 100%." 

"It comes down to the specific location of the flexor mass strain," Cherington said, per Jason Mackey of MLB.com. "Not every flexor mass muscle strain is the same. After more collaboration between the doctors and information shared, given the exact spot that Konnor has the muscle strain, we’re going to be a little bit more conservative on the timeline. That means I don’t have a timeline. Still believe he’s gonna be part of our team, part of our lineup for the biggest chunk of the season. We’re probably just adding some days onto what we maybe had thought at one point."

Cherington added, "The good news is based on the reports I’m getting, he’s almost completely asymptomatic at this point. That was gonna be the first step. Whenever that happens, when he’s fully asymptomatic, then he will advance into more full baseball activity, eventually get to throwing. You know Konnor. He’s going to attack this 100%. He’s gonna do everything he can to be back in the lineup as fast as he can. He’s also incredibly important, so we’re not going to take any risks."

With Griffin out longer than the Pirates expected, a tandem of Jared Triolo and Wendzel at shortstop might be in the cards for manager Don Kelly. Before hitting the injured list, Griffin was one of the best hitters in the Pirates' lineup. 

In 51 games since his debut, he hit .270 with a .729 OPS (sixth on the Pirates), stole 14 bases (second on the team, caught once) and is tied for fifth on the team in runs (30). Sitting six-and-a-half games out of the National League Central and tied for the last wild-card spot, getting Griffin back will help the Pirates solidify their position for a playoff spot.