What happened to Konnor Griffin? Why Pirates star rookie is landing on injured list

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been one of the more fun surprises of the 2026 MLB season, as they've seen a lot of their players turn in promising seasons, including rookie sensation Konnor Griffin.

While he got off to a slow start, he's been a solid player for the Pirates as of late. However, his rookie season is on hold for a while.

According to Jason Mackey of MLB.com, the Pirates are placing Griffin on the injured list. This injury, fortunately, doesn't seem like a lengthy one, but it's still noteworthy what his injury actually is.

Why Pirates Konnor Griffin is headed to IL

"Per Ben Cherington on the Pirates Insider Show, Konnor Griffin will go on the 10-day IL with a flexor tendon strain," Mackey reports. "Cherington said today was the day they targeted to see whether Griffin would be able to play short. Belief is that IL stint will be on the shorter end."

Pittsburgh is going to be without Griffin for at least the next 10 days, as their superstar rookie sensation is going to be out for a while due to this flexor tendon strain.

He wasn't playing the field due to a right forearm issue recently, but he was still in the lineup. But, instead of trying to force Griffin to stay in the lineup and play through an injury, the Pirates are placing him on the injured list.

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This season, Griffin has a .270 batting average with four homers and 22 RBIs and a .729 OPS. He went 2-for-5 on Saturday, and maybe could've stayed in the lineup as a designated hitter going forward.

But he's only 20 years old, and it's his rookie season. It's also not even June yet. There's no reason to risk Griffin so much at this point in his career and in the 2026 season.

This report from Cherington does indicate that Griffin won't be out for too long, so the Pirates should be able to get their rookie back shortly.

It's an unfortunate injury for Griffin, as this right flexor tendon strain will keep him out for at least the next week and a half or so. But Griffin should be able to return sooner rather than later, which is a sigh of relief for the Pirates.

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