PITTSBURGH -- When Major Leaguers return to Double-A for a rehab assignment, they’re usually the elder statesmen of the roster. That wasn’t the case for Konnor Griffin.
When the 20-year-old began his rehab assignment in Altoona’s 8-4 win against Reading on Wednesday, he was the youngest on the squad by two years. Griffin reached base all four times while hitting a triple and a homer in his first game back from a right forearm strain. Griffin was taken out of the game after his home run in the bottom of the seventh.
“I feel good,” Griffin said after the game. “It's just taking it easy, not letting a good game dictate it. I'm ready to go. It's more just about getting reps at shortstop, making throws, because that's the most important thing. I don't know what their plan is. I’m just going to take it day by day and enjoy just getting to play when I can.”
A source told MLB.com postgame that the plan was to have Griffin play a game at shortstop in Altoona (Wednesday night) and return to Pittsburgh on Thursday with a day off, where he’ll be evaluated and continue rehab. The return to Pittsburgh doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be activated on Thursday, the source said. Griffin said after Wednesday's game that the plan was for him to play five to seven innings, depending on how he felt.
Pirates fans likely held their breath as they refreshed the MLB app to see Griffin’s first at-bat. Facing Phillies 2025 first-round pick Gage Wood, Griffin worked a 2-2 count and was hit by a 96 mph fastball. The pitch seemed to get Griffin mostly on the meat of his left arm, as he stayed in the game and later scored on a home run by Lonnie White Jr.
“I was getting the itch to keep playing again,” Griffin said.
It was never Griffin’s bat that was in question. MLB's former No. 1 prospect initially revealed discomfort in his forearm in late May. He served as the designated hitter for two games before landing on the 10-day IL on May 31. Griffin was cleared to hit throughout the entire process.
Pittsburgh wanted to see how Griffin’s throwing arm would respond following the strain. After consultation with Dr. Keith Meister, it was suggested that Griffin take a two-week break from throwing. He did just that before heading to Florida to rehab the arm while the Pirates were on the road in mid-June.
Griffin’s throwing arm was tested in the first at-bat of the game, when he recorded a routine 6-3 putout. Pirates manager Don Kelly said on Tuesday that it’s one thing for Griffin to practice throws, but game speed would be a better test to see where he’s truly at.
After falling behind 1-2 in his second at-bat, Griffin worked a full count and eventually drew a walk. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, but didn’t go any further. In the bottom of the fifth, Griffin lined a triple into the right-center gap to score Will Taylor and then came home on a passed ball, flipping a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead.
Griffin made an error at shortstop in the top of the seventh, but made up for it with a monster home run to left field in the bottom of the inning to give Altoona a 6-3 lead.
Through 51 Major League games in his rookie season, Griffin was hitting .270 with a .729 OPS, four homers and 14 stolen bases, rebounding from a slow start with a .306/.361/.459 slash line in May. Jared Triolo has filled in at shortstop in Griffin's absence, helping out defensively, but he has been unable to replicate the offensive production.
“I felt like I was really getting comfortable up there in the big leagues, but I tried to find the positives,” Griffin said. “I got to go to Florida and really just focus on some things I wanted to work on, and didn't have to worry about playing games every day.”