Konnor Griffin’s return highlights just how badly Pirates failed to survive without him

Konnor Griffin is finally on the verge of returning to the Pittsburgh Pirates. That should be exciting.

It should also be a little embarrassing.

Griffin is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list Friday against the Los Angeles Angels after missing nearly two months with a torn sagittal band in his left ring finger. After three rehab games and an evaluation in Pittsburgh, the 20-year-old said Thursday that he feels healthy and ready to return.

The Pirates have probably been counting down the days just as anxiously as Griffin had. Because while Griffin was sidelined, Pittsburgh received an uncomfortable reminder of just how fragile this offense really is.

The Pirates were still firmly in the postseason race, sitting just 2.5 games out of a National League wild card spot at the end of July. Then came the month they desperately needed to use to establish themselves as legitimate contenders. Instead, they went 12-15 and finished August 67-71.

The offense cratered along with their playoff hopes. Pittsburgh hit just .217/.298/.334 in August, producing a .633 OPS while averaging only 3.59 runs per game. Griffin obviously wasn't responsible for all of that. Ryan O'Hearn also landed on the injured list Aug. 1, and Pittsburgh dealt with other injuries and underperformance throughout the lineup.

But that's precisely the problem. A team trying to reach the postseason shouldn't become this vulnerable because a 20-year-old rookie is unavailable, and Pittsburgh’s inability to adequately replace what Griffin provides exposed a roster that still lacks enough dependable position-player talent.

Pirates still have work to do to build a competitive roster around Konnor Griffin

Griffin is 20 years old. He should be a luxury for a team trying to contend, not someone whose absence helps expose the entire structure of the offense.

Yet Pittsburgh badly missed his defense at shortstop, his speed on the bases and the energy he provides at the plate. Griffin has already demonstrated the type of all-around impact that made the Pirates comfortable giving him a massive contract extension shortly after his major league debut.

A legitimate postseason contender should be able to withstand losing one important hitter for several weeks. The Pirates largely couldn't. Injuries elsewhere certainly compounded the problem, but the lack of offensive depth became impossible to ignore as Pittsburgh slipped further from a wild card position.

Now Griffin returns with the Pirates running out of time. He could make them better. He could even help fuel one final desperate push toward October. But Pittsburgh shouldn’t spend September expecting its 20-year-old shortstop to rescue the season.

If the Pirates are going to build their next competitive team around Griffin, September provides another valuable head start. His return might be arriving too late to completely change Pittsburgh’s playoff fortunes, but It isn’t too late to learn something important about what comes next.

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