Konnor Griffin finally sheds light on frustrating Pirates recovery decision

The most frustrating part of Konnor Griffin’s injury absence has never been the Pirates’ caution with his right elbow. A conservative approach with a 20-year-old shortstop and franchise cornerstone is understandable.

The confusion has been over the obvious workaround: If Griffin can still hit, why isn’t he serving as the Pirates’ designated hitter while his throwing arm heals?

Griffin finally offered an answer during an interview Wednesday on Pirates flagship station 93.7 The Fan, and it makes the situation a little easier to understand, even if it doesn’t make his absence any less painful for a Pirates team badly missing his spark.

Griffin, who was placed on the 10-day injured list May 31 with a right elbow strain, has remained able to do most baseball activity throughout his recovery. Throwing was always the final hurdle, and when the team departed for their road trip to Sacramento and Colorado, Griffin was sent to Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., for what Ben Cherington called a “legitimate throwing progression.”

Griffin confirmed during the interview that he is "feeling good" and "making good progress," saying that he hoped to be back with the Pirates "sooner than later."

Konnor Griffin explains why he's not DHing for Pirates during injury recovery

The key detail came when Griffin addressed the DH question directly. Yes, he said, he could DH if the Pirates wanted him to. But doing so would make it harder to complete the throwing progression the organization wants him to prioritize.

“Coming down here to Florida, you become the priority,” Griffin said. “To have hands-on one-on-one with the coaches, get your work in. It’s more quality work to rehab to get back when you’re down here. If they wanted me to DH, I would do it in a heartbeat. I miss being with the guys.”

From the outside, it seemed maddening that Griffin was healthy enough to swing a bat but unavailable to a Pirates lineup that has been slumping in his absence and needed his athleticism, energy and upside. But the Pirates clearly do not want a half-measure here. They want Griffin fully built back up to play shortstop, not merely available to take four plate appearances while delaying or complicating the work needed to get his arm right.

Griffin said he is throwing out to 150 feet and believes he is getting close, though he acknowledged there is no firm timeline because the process depends on how his arm responds each day.

His own impatience is obvious. Griffin said his early MLB experience had started to feel normal, but he also made clear he expects far more from himself than a .270 average with four home runs and 22 RBI.

“I’m a .900 OPS guy,” Griffin said. “That’s what I did last year. That’s something I can improve on.”

That confidence is exactly why Pirates fans want him back immediately. But Griffin’s comments finally clarify why the Pirates have chosen the slower, more complete path.