The Pittsburgh Pirates got some bad news on Saturday, and it’s going to impact their infield for the rest of the summer. Rookie standout Konnor Griffin has been moved from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list, the team confirmed. That means a finger injury is going to keep him out until at least September, which is a real gut punch for a club trying to end a postseason drought that goes back to 2015.
Griffin was one of the bright spots in a Pirates lineup that has actually been pretty good this year. But the rookie’s hand injury turned out to be more serious than originally thought. The Pirates haven’t given a ton of specifics about the injury itself, but moving him to the 60-day IL tells you everything you need to know. He’s done for the foreseeable future.
So what are the Pirates doing about it? They’re shuffling the deck. Pittsburgh designated pitcher Cam Sanders for assignment to free up a roster spot. They also added infielder Jacob Gonzalez and pitcher Brandon Eisert to the active roster. Both guys just arrived via a trade with the Chicago White Sox.
Gonzalez is the one who’ll get the most attention here. He’s hitting .244 this season in Chicago, and the Pirates are hoping he can hold down the fort at second or third base while Griffin rehabs. It’s not a sexy replacement, but it’s something. The Pirates need bodies who can play defense and maybe get on base once in a while.
Pitching has been the bigger problem
The truth is, Pittsburgh’s bullpen has been getting beat up all season. Eisert might get a look in relief pretty quickly. The rotation hasn’t been much better. Bubba Chandler has hit a rough patch, and even ace Paul Skenes got shelled in a recent loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. That’s the guy they’re counting on to lead them to October, and he’s been inconsistent.
But here’s the weird part. The Pirates’ hitting has actually been pretty darn good. New addition Ryan O’Hearn has been a spark plug in the middle of the lineup. He went off against the Atlanta Braves recently, hitting three home runs and driving in 10 runs in a single game. That’s not a typo. Ten RBIs in one game.
Still, the team sits at 47-47, which is fourth in the NL Central. That’s not going to cut it if they want to play meaningful games in September. They’ve got a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, starting at 12:05 ET. Two games in one day, against a team that’s been crushing it all year. And now they have to do it without their rookie infielder.
It’s not impossible for Pittsburgh to turn things around. The division is winnable if they get hot. But losing Griffin for this long hurts. The margin for error just got a lot thinner.
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