The Pirates are getting some encouraging signs on one injured young player, a more defined path back for a middle-of-the-order bat, and a worrying update on a catcher whose season may be slipping away.
Konnor Griffin looks closest to a return. General manager Ben Cherington said on his radio show this weekend that Griffin has begun swinging a bat and remains on pace to come back in the first part of September while rehabbing the left ring finger sagittal band injury that has kept him out since July 5.
Griffin spent six weeks with his fingers in a splint before it came off on Aug. 17. Since then, he has moved on to gripping work, using his glove and taking swings at the Pirates’ facility in Bradenton.
There is still a date to clear before he can actually be activated. Griffin cannot come off the 60-day injured list until Sept. 4, but Cherington said he still expects the 20-year-old to be back in Major League games not long after he becomes eligible. For a club that has gone most of the summer without one of its most important young players, that would be a welcome lift late in the year.
Ryan O’Hearn’s path is a little less immediate, but the Pirates at least have a better read on that one too. Cherington said O’Hearn is “tracking positively” as he recovers from a left quad strain and has advanced to running drills.
That lines up with the original six-to-eight-week recovery window after O’Hearn went on the injured list Aug. 1, making a return around mid-September seem realistic. It would only leave him a couple of weeks to help before the regular season ends, though there was at least some initial uncertainty about whether he would play again in 2026.
Even with the missed time, O’Hearn has been one of Pittsburgh’s most productive hitters. He ranks second on the team with 17 home runs and 69 RBI despite missing more than five weeks across two IL stints. Over 398 plate appearances, he has hit .270/.334/.454 after signing a two-year, $29 million deal last offseason.
The most concerning news came with Endy Rodríguez. His 2026 season may be in jeopardy while the Pirates continue to sort through the left hip issue that has sidelined him since Aug. 10.
Cherington said during his weekly radio appearance that surgery is one of the options being considered, and the team expects to know more later this week.
That’s a tough turn for Rodríguez, whose injury history already runs long. He missed nearly all of 2024 after UCL and flexor tendon surgery, then had his 2025 season cut short by ulnar nerve transposition surgery. He has also dealt with a hand laceration and glute strain over the last two seasons.
It’s especially frustrating because Rodríguez had been showing real signs of progress at the plate this year. He was hitting .267/.373/.467 with seven home runs in 159 plate appearances, giving the Pirates reason to believe the former top prospect was starting to turn that promise into production in the majors. Now, instead of getting a full final-month look, Pittsburgh may once again be left waiting on his health.
In Other News...
Khristian Curtis Just Put Real Pressure On The Pirates Rotation
Khristian Curtis has given the Pirates something they can never have enough of in late summer: a young arm forcing its way into the conversation. Through his first two major league appearances, the right-hander has spun eight scoreless innings while allowing only two hits, a quick start that has turned a low-key call-up into a legitimate rotation storyline as the calendar moves toward September.
Don Kelly already identified Curtis as a candidate for a roster spot when the expanded rosters arrive next month, and the path is clearer with Mitch Keller out for the season. That leaves Pittsburgh looking for innings wherever it can find them, and Curtis is suddenly in position to do more than just fill space. If he keeps this going, the Pirates may have no choice but to keep giving him a real chance to start. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Are Finally Closing In On A Konnor Griffin Return
Konnor Griffin is finally moving toward a return, and the Pirates have a clearer sense of when they might have him back in the lineup. General manager Ben Cherington said Griffin is progressing well in his rehab from a left ring sagittal band injury, with the outfielder having been sidelined since early July. After a stretch on the shelf, Griffin has recently started swinging again now that his splint has been removed.
The calendar still matters here, because Griffin cannot be activated from the 60-day injured list until September 4. Even so, the expectation is that he could be back in major league games in early September, giving Pittsburgh a late-season boost if his recovery continues on schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Paul Skenes Struggles Are Turning Into A Real Pirates Concern
Paul Skenes recent stretch has become a legitimate talking point for the Pirates, not because the stuff has disappeared, but because the fastball command and overall effectiveness havent been where they were earlier in the season. When a pitcher with his profile starts missing in the wrong places, attention naturally turns from results to delivery, and that is exactly where analysts Dan Plesac and Rob Friedman have focused their concern.
The early read is that mechanical issues may be at the heart of the problem, with excessive rotation and body misalignment in his delivery drawing scrutiny. There is also a sense that whats happening now could be tied to an overcorrection from earlier in the year, which makes the situation feel more complicated than a simple slump. Some have even floated the idea that a shutdown could give Skenes the reset he needs, but for now the Pirates are left weighing how to handle one of the most important arms in the organization. [Read more 🡒]