Ryan Thompson heads to IL with lower back strain

Lovullo noted Kevin Ginkel, Paul Sewald and Ryan Thompson as potential options that want the ball in the ninth inning. Then at some point during the season the Diamondbacks will get Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk back, which will cause further chaos at the back end of their bullpen. Fantasy managers who are trying to speculate for saves here may be better served looking elsewhere.

Thompson, 33, was limited to 41 1/3 innings last season and his 3.92 ERA was his worst mark since his rookie year in 2020, making him a non-tender candidate. Still, the D-backs though it was worth about $4 million to bring him back for his last season before free agency. There’s very little in front of him in the Arizona pen, so though he’s never been thought of as a closer, he could be in position to earn some saves this year.

Ryan Thompson, pitching for a third straight day, opened the ninth with a two-run lead and retired the first two batters he faced. However, after an Austin Martin single, the D-backs went to a lefty against Kody Clemens. Backhus ended up walking Clemens and then plunking Luke Keaschall before getting Matt Wallner to fly out to end the game.

Backhus gave up a single and an RBI triple before Woodford came in and allowed the game-tying hit to Cody Freeman. The D-backs have no closer at the moment, but Ryan Thompson, who pitched a scoreless seventh tonight in his return from the IL, should prove to be their best reliever. If anyone in the Arizona pen is worth rostering, it’s him.

Thompson returns to Arizona’s relief mix for Monday’s game against the Rangers following a near two-month absence recovering from a right shoulder strain. The 33-year-old veteran reliever has posted a solid 4.45 ERA across 32 1/3 innings (36 appearances) this season.

No word yet on how much time Thompson figures to miss. The 33-year-old veteran reliever has been one of Arizona’s key relief cogs this season with a serviceable 4.45 ERA across 32 1/3 innings in 36 appearances. He made a career-high 67 appearances last year for the Diamondbacks. There should be an update on his status at some point in the coming days.

With Justin Martinez joining A.J. Puk on the IL, the D-backs used Ryan Thompson in the seventh, Kevin Ginkel in the eighth and Miller to close today. Miller got to face the bottom three hitters in the Mets order and retired them on just eight pitches. Ginkel struggled against better hitters in his frame, and he was allowed to throw 34 pitches despite having just made his season debut Wednesday after spending the first month on the IL. Miller has allowed only one unearned run in 13 2/3 innings for the Diamondbacks, and he might be the team’s favorite for saves for now. Health is always a question here, though. His closest thing to a full season in the last nine years was last year, when he had a 4.53 ERA in 55 2/3 innings before the Tigers cut him with a week left in the season. The save today was just the fourth of his career.

Thompson came into a chaotic situation after Justin Martinez allowed a solo home run and walked back-to-back batters before being pulled without recording an out. He threw just five of his 14 pitches for strikes and his average fastball velocity was down from 100 mph to 96 mph. While that’s all very troubling, Thompson got the call to nail down the save and got some clutch outs. Kevin Ginkel, Shelby Miller and Thompson would be in the mix for save chances if something is wrong with Martinez.

Lovullo added that Martinez is undergoing further evaluation after his velocity was down significantly during Wednesday’s relief appearance against the Mets. The hard-throwing 23-year-old was pulled in the ninth inning after giving up a solo homer to Tyrone Taylor and issuing consecutive walks to Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. It was Ryan Thompson who came on to escape the jam and pick up the save. It certainly sounds like the Diamondbacks are considering giving him some time off to rest and focus on getting back to his previous form.

Martinez hasn’t pitched since last Thursday due to shoulder fatigue, but there’s no indication he’ll wind up requiring a trip to the injured list. It would likely be some combination of Shelby Miller, Ryan Thompson and Drey Jameson handling a save chance on Wednesday night if Martinez isn’t able to go.