So, the Pirates get their rookie shortstop back, and their lineup immediately becomes more dangerous<\/a>. But in the process, they somehow made the roster mechanics around the move feel unnecessarily clunky.<\/p>\n Infield prospect Jack Brannigan was optioned back to Double-A Altoona one day after being recalled<\/a>. He never even got the chance to make his MLB debut before being sent right back down.<\/p>\n Brannigan had been summoned after Spencer Horwitz landed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring, seemingly giving manager Don Kelly another athletic, versatile infield option while Griffin remained out. Less than 24 hours later, Griffin was activated and Brannigan was gone.<\/p>\n Tonight. \ud83d\udc40 pic.twitter.com\/g7hAYEqILM<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 26, 2026<\/a>Konnor Griffin’s return to Pirates makes Jack Brannigan call-up awkward and unnecessary<\/p>\n If Griffin was this close to returning, what exactly was the point?<\/p>\n The Pirates\u2019 caution with Griffin\u2019s arm made sense. He’s 20 years old, already signed long term and locked in as a major piece of their future. The club had Griffin shut down from throwing for two weeks <\/a>before rebuilding his arm strength at their complex in Bradenton.<\/p>\n Once Griffin proved he could throw, play shortstop and come out of his rehab game feeling healthy, the Pirates needed only to activate him and move forward. Instead, their timing left Brannigan in roster limbo and made the whole sequence look disorganized.<\/p>\n Griffin enters Friday hitting .270 with a .729 OPS, four home runs and 14 stolen bases through 51 Major League games, and he had clearly turned a corner in May with a .306\/.361\/.459 slash line. Jared Triolo helped defensively in Griffin\u2019s absence, but his .225\/.299\/.268 line couldn’t come close to replacing Griffin\u2019s offensive impact.<\/p>\n The Pirates are better with Griffin back. That much is simple. Which makes it all the more frustrating that they still found a way to make his return feel more complicated than it needed to be.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\"){kind=icon}
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow<\/a>