PITTSBURGH – Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin was “itching” to return from the injured list. On the second pitch he saw Friday night, he made it known to the baseball world.
Griffin hammered a fastball 435 feet at 108.9 mph to left field in the first inning for a no-doubt home run. He was activated off the IL ahead of Friday’s 6-4 loss to the Reds at PNC Park and led off for the second time in his MLB career. Griffin finished the game 2-for-4 and was hit by a pitch in the back in the seventh inning.
The 20-year-old became the fifth-youngest player in MLB history to hit a leadoff homer, joining a list that includes Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle.
“It's wild to think about,” Griffin said of joining The Mick. “I hope I have as good of a career as he had. So, let's take it day by day and see what happens.”
Griffin went on the IL on May 31 with a right forearm strain. He played in one rehab game on Wednesday for Double-A Altoona, reaching base all four times in the contest while ripping a triple and a home run.
He returned to Pittsburgh on Thursday, when he worked out pregame with the team and was evaluated by the medical staff. Griffin had been cleared to hit since reporting the injury, appearing as the designated hitter twice before hitting the IL.
Griffin didn’t get much action in the field in his return, completing a putout to end the sixth inning. At the plate, he grounded out to third in his second at-bat and flew out to center field in his third. In the bottom of the seventh, Griffin was hit by a pitch, and he singled in the bottom of the ninth.
“Good to be back out there,” Griffin said. “I felt the adrenaline rushing, the good nerves.”
The Pirates wanted to see how Griffin’s throwing arm would respond following the strain in the field. 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.
“It's more for me just getting my body ready at the beginning of the day,” Griffin said. “Normally, last year, I would just show up, do some stretching, and go out there and play. It's a lot more important now than being there early and focusing on the little things, even a little soreness, where it's in the legs or arm or whatever, make sure to get it worked on.”
Griffin led off with Spencer Horwitz out and the Pirates facing a left-handed starting pitcher in Andrew Abbott. Pirates manager Don Kelly said they’ll see how the process goes with Griffin in the leadoff spot, and Jake Mangum will likely see some time in the position against right-handed pitching.
Kelly said that while the team certainly feels the energy of Griffin’s return, the club will go day by day to see how Griffin’s arm is recovering. Griffin likely won’t play every day at shortstop, at least for the few days back.
Griffin added that he treated it as a reset to figure out his body and make tweaks to his recovery process. In Bradenton, Griffin worked on throwing from different arm angles and returning to full strength. With Altoona, Griffin made an error in the field but said he felt good after the outing, during which he played seven innings.
The former MLB Pipeline No. 1 overall prospect’s highest velocity on a throw was 94 mph, he said, and he wanted to make sure he could stay at his average, which sits around 84-85 mph. Griffin also used the time off to work on a few tweaks to his game, widening his stance to add more consistency to his offensive output. He watched every game and picked up different ideas from both teammates and opponents while watching their routines from the dugout.
Now back in the lineup, Griffin could be the game-changer that pushes the Pirates over the hump.
“I feel like I can produce more out here than what I have in the first 50 games,” Griffin said. “... I'm treating it as this is my second half of the year, so time to get it rolling and try to finish strong.”