Konnor Griffin dealing with torn tendon in finger

Griffin is aiming to return for Friday’s series opener against the Angels when he’s first eligible to come off the injured list. The 20-year-old prodigy was hitting .276/.332/.404 with 35 runs scored, five homers, 25 RBI and 20 steals in 247 plate appearances across 59 games before landing on the injured list with a torn sagittal band in his left ring finger since early July. His return would be a massive development for Pittsburgh and he offers enough stolen base upside to be a significant fantasy contributor for the final three-plus weeks of the season.

Pirates manager Don Kelly told reporters it went well when Griffin began swinging a bat for the first time since suffering a torn sagittal band in his left ring finger nearly two months ago. The 20-year-old is expected to ramp up baseball activities over the next few weeks with the aim of returning to Pittsburgh’s lineup at some point in early September. He’s one of, if not the most, impactful stash candidates in the entire fantasy landscape heading into the final five weeks of the season given his tremendous raw talent.

Theres’ optimism Griffin will be ready to return from the injured list in early September, when he’s first eligible to be activated from the 60-day injured list. The 20-year-old prodigy seemed to be hitting his stride before suffering a torn sagittal band in his left ring finger that sent him to the injured list back in early July. An early-September return would be in line with the club’s initial 8-10 week return timetable. He’s obviously talented enough that he’ll make a significant fantasy impact down the home stretch as Pittsburgh’s top-of-the-order igniter.

The procedural move opens a spot on Pittsburgh’s roster for shortstop Jacob Gonzalez, who was acquired from the White Sox in a trade on Friday night. Griffin is recovering from a torn sagittal band in his left ring finger that is expected to sideline him until early September. The 20-year-old prodigy is worth stashing in deeper fantasy leagues, but he’s unlikely to make a significant impact given how much time he’s set to miss.

Griffin picked up the injury making a diving catch in his previous game. The infielder will be in a splint for six weeks, and then he’ll need another 2-4 weeks before he’s eligible to return. The 20-year-old should be back before the season concludes, but this obviously will limit his fantasy impact substantially. Jared Triolo seems likely to play shortstop with Griffin unavailable.

Griffin led off the game with a single and advanced all the way to third with two outs, but the Pirates couldn’t cash him in. He then drew a one out walk in the fourth and swiped second base but wound up stranded at third again. The rookie sensation then delivered a go-ahead two-run single in the eighth inning and scored on Brandon Lowe’s three-run blast. With his two-hit attack, Griffin is now hitting .276/.332/.404 with five homers, 25 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 247 plate appearances with the Bucs.

Griffin singled and stole second base to lead off the contest before swiping home on a designed double-steal with veteran Bryan Reynolds later in the frame. The 20-year-old rookie sensation is up to 19 thefts through 58 games in his first taste of the majors. He finished 1-for-5 out of the leadoff spot in this one. He’s going to be a fantasy force for years to come with sky-hight five-category superstar potential.

The Pirates are just being cautious with their star in his return from a forearm strain. Griffin returned last Friday and will now have sat in two of the team’s seven games since then. We would expect them to go back to playing him nearly every day after the All-Star break. On Thursday, Jared Triolo will bat ninth and play shortstop, and Jake Mangum will move into Griffin’s spot at the top of the order.

It doesn’t come as a surprise that the Pirates are going to manage Griffin’s workload carefully as he returns from a forearm strain that cost him nearly an entire month. The 20-year-old prodigy went 2-for-4 with a leadoff homer in his return from the injured list on Friday evening. He’s looked like a five-category fantasy monster since the start of May after taking a couple weeks to get acclimated to the big-league level. It’ll be Jared Triolo taking a turn at shortstop in his place. He should be ready to roll for Sunday’s series finale.

Griffin didn’t miss a beat in his first game since May 30. The 20-year-old phenom put the Pirates on the board in the first inning, taking Reds lefty Andrew Abbott deep with a 445-foot blast to left-center field. It’s the fifth homer of the season for Griffin, who has hit over .300 since May and continues to display good power at the plate. Between his lone rehab game in Double-A and his multi-hit on Friday, it’s safe to assume Griffin’s forearm issue has been put to bed.