Report: Diamondbacks to Option Struggling Reliever to Triple-A

The Arizona Diamondbacks continue to shake up their scuffling bullpen. According to Arizona Sports 98.7's John Gambadoro, the Diamondbacks are optioning struggling right-hander Kevin Ginkel to Triple-A Reno.

It was previously reported by Gambadoro that the D-backs would be calling up reliever Jeff Brigham. Sending Ginkel to the minors will clear a spot on the active roster, but a corresponding 40-man move is necessary. That move has yet to be reported or announced.

Ginkel has pitched to a rough 12.60 ERA in the 2025 season, after spending the early portion on the Injured List with right shoulder inflammation. Though his fastball velocity appeared close to normal on return, down my just one MPH from last year, he's been hit extremely hard, taking the loss in each of his last two appearances. In back-to-back outings, he surrendered six earned runs while recoridng just three total outs.

The right-hander emerged in the latter half of 2023, dominating in a setup role and pitching to a 2.48 ERA over 65.1 innings and into the Postseason. He was a reliable arm for most of 2024 as well, but a September slump saw his ERA jump from 2.51 to 3.21, as he gave up eight earned runs in his final nine innings of work.

Ginkel is not the only struggling reliever with options remaining, as Juan Morillo, Scott McGough, Ryan Thompson and Justin Martinez are each eligible to be sent down if needed.

But Ginkel's issues have been quite glaring. Granted, the 12.60 figure is underscored by peripherals that halve that number. His FIP is 5.01 and his expected ERA is 5.18. Opponents have enjoyed an unbelievable .444 Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP), however he has also walked seven batters in just 10.0 innings of work.

His strikeouts are there, with 15 in those limited innings. Unfortunately, he has also allowed 14 earned runs in that span.

Whether the issues are mechanical or mental (or a combination of both), Ginkel will spend some time down with the Reno Aces, in a hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League for the time being.

Brigham, his replacement, has a career 4.76 ERA, and a 5.23 ERA in 17 Triple-A outings this season. As noted by Diamondbacks On SI analyst Michael McDermott, however, Brigham's underlying metrics suggest he's been a much better arm than the raw ERA suggests, especially in an offense-heavy environment.

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The Diamondbacks are still searching for answers to a bullpen that has squandered many a Quality Start and ruined many a late-inning comeback.

Ginkel was responsible for three such disappointing outcomes, including a five-run meltdown at the hands of the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, turning a 6-2 lead in the eighth inning into a 9-6 loss.