Let’s get medical—what Pirates Konnor Griffin is dealing with

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Let’s get medical with the Konnor Griffin injury and why an injury to a finger could cost the Bucs shortstop much of the rest of the season.

It’s on the ring finger of his left hand and occurred when he dove to make a play Sunday against the Nationals.

Here are the details.

“What specifically is injured is the sagittal band on the left ring finger,” said Pirates Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk. “What the sagittal band is, it’s the stick-fibrous connective tissue that reinforces and supports the extensor tendon.”

If you are like me, ‘sagittal band’ just flies over your head. Why can’t Griffin play with a finger injury?

“The sagittal band, it stabilizes the extensor tendon,” Tomczyk said Tuesday. “Because that sagittal band was injured, that extensor tendon was subluxing, if you must. You could do some major damage if you continue to play to that extensor tendon. To note, the extensor tendon is not injured right now. It is the sagittal band.”

So like the flexor injury to Griffin from late May, it appears the Pirates are attempting to be more cautious this and not risk a young, potential star to further injury.

“There was a bunch of options that were discussed and presented to Konnor and team through the physicians,” Tomczyk said. “The best choice is non-operative care, the six weeks of splint and immobilization to make sure that this can properly heal and that it can return to the high function.”

With that six weeks of immobilization, it won’t be possible to see Griffin until early September and possibly the rest of the season, although that wasn’t presented as an option during Tomczyk’s meeting with reporters.

Tomczyk said they met not only with team physicians Dr. Darren Frank and Dr. Patrick DeMeo, but a hand specialist as well.

This specific injury doesn’t happen often to baseball players, it just seems to be the Pirates run of luck right now.