X-rays negative on Kevin Ginkel, Diamondbacks dodge bullet

Kevin Ginkel left in the sixth inning of the Diamondbacks’ 10-5 win over the Mets after getting struck in the left knee by a Brandon Nimmo comebacker. While Gabriel Moreno completed the play and threw out Nimmo at first, the main concern was on Ginkel, who was lying on the mound in pain.

It appears they have dodged a potentially significant injury on the right-hander, as manager Torey Lovullo said the x-rays came back negative and Ginkel is “day-to-day”. There are currently no plans to get further imaging on the injured knee.

Losing Ginkel to a lengthy injury would have been a disaster for the Diamondbacks bullpen, even though he hasn’t been as sharp as last season. He allowed runs in five of his seven appearances between May 8-26, but had gone scoreless in his last two. While the trio of Paul Sewald, Ryan Thompson, and Joe Mantiply has solidified the back end of the bullpen this month, Ginkel was always going to be a key part of the unit’s success.

The Diamondbacks are already dealing with enough injuries to the bullpen. Left-hander Kyle Nelson will miss the rest of the season after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery last month. Luis Frías and Miguel Castro have been on the injured list, with Frías just starting a rehab assignment in the complex league.