PITTSBURGH — An inflatable bounce house took center stage in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ locker room prior to Monday evening’s matchup with St. Louis, thanks to National League Cy Young Award recipient Paul Skenes.
The star pitcher arranged for the children’s play structure as part of a delayed birthday party for rookie infielder Konnor Griffin, who reached the milestone age of 20 last Friday and marked the occasion by launching his inaugural big league home run during a victory over Milwaukee.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get to get in it, but I love it,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said of the bounce house. “Teammates, it’s good camaraderie and I know that Konnor’s a great sport about it. There are not too many guys that get to celebrate their 20th birthday in the big leagues. Really cool.”
Griffin stepped onto the major league stage for the first time on April 3 following his promotion from Triple-A Indianapolis. His arrival was quickly followed by a substantial $140 million, nine-year deal signed just five days afterward.
After earning Minor League Player of the Year honors in the previous season, Griffin currently maintains a .224 batting average alongside his single home run and six successful base thefts across 22 appearances. The Pirates selected him as their top choice in the 2024 amateur draft.
