Konnor Griffin Fine With DH Role for Now, But Hopes to Hear Good News VERY Soon
PITTSBURGH — Konnor Griffin hasn’t been able to man his usual position at shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates the last few days.
The 20-year-old rookie is dealing with a low-grade muscle strain to one of the flexors in his forearm, which has prevented him from playing the field. He hasn’t been cleared to throw but is still allowed to hit.
Griffin was out of the lineup on Thursday night against the Chicago Cubs. He’s served as designated hitter for each of the first two games of Pittsburgh’s series with the Minnesota Twins on Friday and Saturday.
The results have been good. Combined between the two games at DH, Griffin is 4 for 9 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and two stolen bases.
“It’s been good,” Griffin said of his temporary role. “Really focusing on what I’m doing at the plate and getting to get off my feet a little bit. Watch the game and just focus on hitting.”
It’s been an adjustment for Griffin, who totaled 49 games at short to begin his career with the Pirates prior to being the DH each of the last two games.
Instead of heading out to the field when it’s the opposing team’s turn to bat, Griffin has to stay in the dugout.
“Just watching reports on guys that might come in and checking out different [at-bats] that I have,” he said on what he’s doing instead of going out for defense. “Trying to move around a little bit to stay as warm as I can.”
It’s a frustrating injury for any player, especially a rookie performing the way he has for the better part of the last month. But Griffin is staying optimistic with the perspective that some extra down time will help him long-term in a 162-game season.
“I’m just trying to take it as a positive thing to give me some rest before getting ready to continue to finish out the year,” he said.
While Griffin is content in his DH role for now, considering he’s still able to play, he’s ready to put his glove back on and get take the field again at short.
“I feel good that it should be sooner than later,” he told Pittsburgh Baseball Now after Saturday’s win.
Griffin says the expectation is that he will be checked out by the Pirates medical staff on Sunday to see if he can resume throwing and go out for defense again. If all goes well, it won’t be very long before No. 6 takes his place at shortstop again.
“I don’t know if I’m playing tomorrow, but I’ll try and be back out there on Tuesday.”
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We need him. Some hits tree let go cause he doesn’t want to dive for them. Watching Griffin play SS and tree playing it is a big difference