The Pittsburgh Pirates will try to finish off a series sweep of the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night at Rate Field, and the lineup they posted for the finale contains one notable shift.
After winning the first two games of the set, including a 4-2 decision on Wednesday that pushed Pittsburgh back to .500 at 73-73, manager Derek Shelton’s club remains in the National League Wild Card picture with a little more than two weeks left in the regular season.
The most discussed change involves 20-year-old rookie Konnor Griffin. The former ninth overall pick in the 2024 draft has spent most of his time at shortstop since reaching the majors, yet he is listed as the designated hitter while still leading off, via Underdog MLB.
Jared Triolo takes over at shortstop. Oneil Cruz starts in center field, Bryan Reynolds in left, Nick Gonzales at third base, Brandon Lowe at second, Rafael Flores Jr. behind the plate, Jake Mangum in right and Spencer Horwitz at first. Right-hander Jared Jones draws the start opposite White Sox left-hander Hagen Smith.
Griffin earned the continued look at the top of the order with his recent production. In Wednesday’s win he delivered a two-run single during a three-run seventh inning that gave Pittsburgh the breathing room it needed.
Through 64 games, he is batting .266 with 65 hits, five home runs, 27 RBIs, 37 runs scored and 22 stolen bases. The combination of contact, extra-base power and speed has made him a useful table-setter even as he continues to learn the major-league game.
Shifting a regular shortstop to designated hitter can serve more than one purpose. It can give a young player a physical rest after a string of games, keep his legs fresh for the final stretch, or simply represent a platoon or matchup decision against a particular pitcher.
The announcement itself arrived without much public explanation, which is why it registered as sudden among those who follow the club closely.
Pittsburgh has now taken five consecutive series and seven of its last eight games. Completing a sweep would be its first road series sweep of the second half and would keep the Pirates within five games of the final Wild Card spot.
Chicago, sitting first in the American League Central at 75-70, has dropped two straight and seven of 10.
Jones will look to build on a recent strong outing while Griffin’s bat remains in the leadoff spot, even if his glove stays on the bench for one night.
How the experiment unfolds will be one of the early storylines when the first pitch is thrown.
