MLB Player News

Griffin (forearm) is serving as the designated hitter and batting sixth against the Twins on Friday, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

Per Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Griffin has not been cleared to throw due to a right forearm flexor strain but has been given the green light to hit. Marcell Ozuna will see a dip in playing time while Griffin gets rep at DH, and Jared Triolo will see more starts at shortstop as well.

Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk told reporters Friday that Griffin is dealing with a muscle strain in his right forearm but has been cleared to serve as the team's designated hitter, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Griffin's forearm injury led to his absence from Thursday's lineup against the Cubs. The positive news is that the injury isn't severe enough for the 20-year-old shortstop to go on the injured list, but he has not been cleared to throw and will be restricted to hitting duties. As a result, Jared Triolo should see more time at shortstop, and Marcell Ozuna could see less playing time if the Pirates opt to use Griffin as the DH.

Mateo went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, a run scored and an RBI in Thursday's win over the Red Sox.

Getting the start at shortstop and batting seventh, Mateo put together his second straight multi-hit performance. The veteran utility player has seen his usage shrink since Ha-Seong Kim came off the IL in mid-May, but he's been surprisingly productive when given the opportunity. Through 41 plate appearances this month, Mateo is slashing .368/.415/.526 with three doubles, a homer, four steals, four RBI and nine runs.

Griffin is dealing with soreness in his right forearm, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

Griffin won't be in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Cubs, but he will be available off the bench, so it doesn't seem like his forearm issue is anything serious. Jared Triolo will pick up a start at shortstop while Griffin sits.

Kim is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against Boston.

Jorge Mateo will start at shortstop for Atlanta while Kim will head to the bench. After coming off the IL to make his season debut May 11, Kim has struggled to get it going at the plate, as he has gone 4-for-42 (.095 average) with just four runs and two RBI.

Adames went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Adames doubled in the second inning before coming around to score, and he added another two-bagger in the eighth. The 30-year-old shortstop has logged multiple extra-base hits in back-to-back games and has safely reached base in 16 of his last 17 outings, slashing .343/.387/.629 with 13 runs scored, 12 RBI and 11 extra-base hits, including four homers, in 75 plate appearances during that span. Overall, he's slashing .243/.282/.423 with 27 runs scored, 18 RBI, seven long balls and a stolen base across 234 plate appearances this season.

Griffin went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday against the Cubs.

Griffin took Jameson Taillon yard to the opposite field in the fourth inning for his fourth homer of the season. It was also his first home run since May 10, a span of 13 starts. Griffin still hit .275 in that span, racking up 13 runs scored and three stolen bases.

Turner went 1-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Padres.

Turner helped seal the victory in the ninth inning by taking Ron Marinaccio deep for a solo homer, his seventh of the season. He also swiped his 11th base of the year in the sixth inning. While Turner has struggled overall in 2026, he has still flashed occasional power lately, hitting three homers over his last 10 games despite batting just 7-for-40 (.175) during that stretch. After winning the National League batting title last season with a .304 average and .812 OPS, Turner has yet to consistently find that same rhythm this year. He's currently slashing .226/.279/.358 with nine doubles, 19 RBI and 34 runs scored across 244 plate appearances.

Lopez went 4-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays.

Facing the team he made his big-league debut with in 2021, Lopez tied his career high for hits in a game while swiping multiple bags for the second time in the last 11 contests. The 27-year-old shortstop boosted his batting average to an MLB-leading .342 with the performance, and through 56 games he also sports four homers, 10 steals, 23 RBI and 31 runs.

High-A Wisconsin reinstated Pena (illness) from its 7-day injured list Wednesday.

Pena will rejoin the Wisconsin lineup for the first time in more than a month, serving as the club's designated hitter and No. 2 batter in Wednesday's game against Peoria, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The 19-year-old infielder had been out of action after collapsing in the Wisconsin dugout after getting overheated in an April 22 game, but he was given the green light to rejoin the affiliate after going 4-for-9 with two extra-base hits, two walks and two stolen bases during a three-game rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League.