Pirates make Konnor Griffin, Carmen Mlodzinski moves that have fans asking questions

Sunday was supposed to be a relatively straightforward roster day for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Instead, it raised two very different questions about the present and future of the club.

The Pirates placed rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin on the 10-day injured list with a flexor tendon strain in his right forearm. According to reports, Griffin is expected to miss only a short period of time, which is about the best-case scenario considering any injury involving a throwing arm immediately triggers concern.

The 20-year-old has been one of the biggest bright spots of Pittsburgh's season. Through 49 games, Griffin hit .261 with a .716 OPS while showing flashes of the superstar potential that made him one of baseball's most highly regarded prospects.

The encouraging news is that this doesn't appear to be a serious setback. Griffin had already been serving as the designated hitter over the past two games because he wasn't cleared to throw. Rather than risking further aggravation, the Pirates opted for caution.

With Ryan O'Hearn returning from the injured list after missing two weeks with a strained quad, Pittsburgh no longer had the luxury of carrying Griffin as a DH-only player while waiting for the arm to improve. A short injured-list stint allows Griffin to fully recover while restoring one of the team's most productive bats to the lineup.

The bigger story, however, is Carmen Mlodzinski.

The Pirates unexpectedly placed Mlodzinski on the restricted list Sunday and recalled Cam Sanders from Triple-A Indianapolis. No explanation accompanied the move, and that's precisely what has everyone talking.

Pirates placing Carmen Mlodzinski on restricted list fuels speculation about his future role

Normally, restricted-list placements come with immediate clarification, whether it's a visa issue, a personal matter or something else entirely unrelated to baseball. But the timing is impossible to ignore.

Just days ago, Mlodzinski was informed he would be moving back to the bullpen following Jared Jones' return to the rotation. He didn't exactly sound thrilled about the decision.

There is currently zero evidence suggesting that Mlodzinski demanded a trade as a result, and it would be irresponsible to jump to that conclusion without additional information. In fact, there are plenty of other possibilities that could explain the restricted-list designation. Still, it would be naïve to pretend the circumstances don't create speculation.

Mlodzinski's disappointment about the move to the bullpen was obvious. He earned his opportunity as a starter and pitched well enough to feel he deserved to remain there. Instead, the Pirates chose to move him into a multi-inning bullpen role because their relief corps has been one of the biggest weaknesses on the roster.

Now the Pirates find themselves dealing with two situations that have fans searching for answers. One appears relatively straightforward — Griffin should be back soon, and O'Hearn's return helps soften the blow. But the other remains a mystery.

Until the Pirates provide more information regarding Mlodzinski's status, the questions aren't going away. And when a move comes less than 72 hours after a visibly frustrated player publicly discussed his uncertain future, fans are naturally going to wonder if there's more to the story.

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