Kevin Ginkel - Bypassed for eighth inning Ginkel was not used in the eighth inning of Wednesday's 3-0 win over the White Sox. Impact Ginkel has been the go-to reliever for the eighth inning of close games, but manager Torey Lovullo went with Ryan Thompson to shepherd the lead to closer Paul Sewald. The decision to not use Ginkel could be related to the reliever's most recent outing Monday, when he told the manager he was ready to pitch after throwing 28 pitches the previous day, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. What ensued was a blown eighth-inning lead and a loss in the middle of a playoff chase. "I'll take accountability for it," Ginkel said. "I was wanting to pitch; there's no question about it. I wasn't feeling great, for sure. After [Sunday], I threw quite a few pitches, and then again [Monday]." Ginkel has been stellar over the second half -- that's why Lovullo entrusts him with the eighth inning -- and will likely continue to pitch in that role, but Thompson may have entered the picture as a trusted high-leverage arm.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
