PITTSBURGH -- Konnor Griffin swiped his left hand across home plate, then pumped his right fist while shouting with excitement.
The 20-year-old Pirates shortstop returned from the 60-day injured list on Friday and instantly showed off his patented elite speed. In the bottom of the second inning, Jake Mangum ripped a double down the right-field line. Griffin raced around from first to home in 10.14 seconds at a sprint speed of 29.1 feet per second, and dove headfirst past the tag, despite the throw beating him to the plate.
“I was just laying my body on the line, trying to score a run, and when you've been out so long, it means a lot when good stuff happens,” Griffin said postgame. “I normally don't show too much emotion, but guess it came out of me. I was pretty fired up.”
Griffin’s run jump-started a 1-0 win for the Pirates over the Angels on Friday night at PNC Park to start a three-game series. Griffin finished 0-for-3, but he scored the only run of the game, while starter Jared Jones struck out nine over six scoreless innings before the bullpen took care of the rest.
Pirates manager Don Kelly said pregame that they would ease Griffin back into game action. He batted sixth and played shortstop on his first eligible day to return from the IL. As Griffin raced around the bases Friday, two months of pent-up jubilation let loose. It was anything but easing back in.
Angels right fielder Wade Meckler corralled the ball and fired it to the cutoff man just as Griffin stumbled around third base. Griffin never looked at the ball, only keeping his eye on the movements of catcher Moisés Ballesteros. Third-base coach Tony Beasley sent the speedster home.
Jones joked that he was scared to see Griffin dive into the plate with the same hand he injured. But Griffin trusted his sliding mitt, never doubting his patched-up left ring finger and ability to slide in safely.
“I'm not out there to play scared right now. It's the most important time of the year. I got activated because I'm 100% healthy,” Griffin said confidently. “So, I'm gonna lay it all on the line. It's kind of why in the beginning we hesitated at trying to play through it, because I can't play with something holding me back. I let loose when I'm out there.”
“I'm not sure if anybody else in the Major Leagues scores on that ball,” Kelly said. “That was unbelievable. … That's Konnor. And the electricity that he brings overall, and what he's able to do and how he's able to change a game.”
Since first going on the IL on July 7, Griffin emphasized he wanted to return as soon as possible. Kelly said pregame there’s nothing Griffin does that he doesn’t give his all. Jones added that Griffin, who signed a nine-year, $140 million contract extension before even debuting, is a superstar in the making.
Veteran Brandon Lowe described the return of Griffin as a “shot in the arm” for the Pirates, who are are four games behind the Padres (73-67) and Diamondbacks (74-68) for the final NL Wild Card spot. Lowe, who was acquired by Pittsburgh from Tampa Bay on Dec. 19, first heard of the top prospect from Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander.
Neander told Lowe that this “kid” ranked extremely high in Tampa Bay's scouting system. On the first day of Spring Training, Lowe and Griffin were in the same batting practice group, and after watching Griffin hit a few balls, Lowe saw the tools Neander praised.
“Since he was 17 years old, he's had expectations around him. I feel like he’s exceeded every single one of those expectations so far,” Lowe said. “... He knows exactly what he's doing and who he is. And as long as he stays within himself, he's going to be a good player for a long time.”
Griffin continues to monitor the injury that sidelined him for two months, keeping the finger stable with a small black ring-shaped brace, and he added tape around it attached to his wrist. He described it as a “precaution to keep it stable” that makes him more comfortable.
Griffin reached on a fielder’s choice in his first at-bat before scoring. He lined out to right field his second time up and struck out in his third plate appearance. Still, the impact Griffin makes in all aspects of the game contributes to winning, just as it did Friday.
He grew up watching his favorite team, the Braves, play meaningful games in September and deep into October. Griffin was anxious to return through the dog days of summer, watching his teammates fight nightly. Now, in his first season, he’s in the thick of his own pennant race.
“They're battling every day, and I just see this as an opportunity. I'm fresh,” Griffin said. “I got 21 games left, 20 now in the regular season, and I'm just gonna try to lay it all out there for them. It's gonna be so cool if we can make the playoffs for the first time [in a while]."