Diamondbacks Kevin Ginkel Pitched Through Fractured Shin

A lengthy discussion about injury management with the Diamondbacks Manager and General Manager revealed the stunning news about Ginkel's injury.

Jun 1, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Kevin Ginkel (37) reacts as catcher Gabriel Moreno (14) checks on him after he was hit by a comebacker by New York Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks had more than their fair share of injuries during the 2024 season. But General Manager Mike Hazen refused to lean on those injuries as an excuse for why the team missed the Postseason.

Correctly pointing out that all teams have injuries, Hazen referenced the Atlanta Braves specifically as a team that lost Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider and Austin Riley, among other players, and still found their way into the playoffs. He also talked about the decimation to the Dodgers' rotation.

Baseball Prospectus has a report that indicates the Diamondbacks lost approximately six WAR due to injuries, or roughly 20% of their expected production. The Braves by contrast lost 12 WAR, or 28% of their expected production. The Dodgers lost over 10 WAR and over 22% of expected production. The Padres were similar to Arizona, with six WAR or 20% lost.

In the course of the discussion about injuries, however, Torey Lovullo revealed a stunning piece of information regarding reliever Kevin Ginkel. The big right-hander was hit on the shin by a comebacker on June 1 playing the New York Mets.

This is the play that Ginkel suffered the fracture in his shin on June 1

Kevin Ginkel hit by comebacker https://t.co/5lOioUj6IR #MLBFilmRoom via @MLB

— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) October 2, 2024

Unknown to the media and the public at the time, Ginkel actually suffered a fractured shin on the play. He was removed from the game but pitched just three days later. Over his next 37 games Ginkel pitched to a 1.62 ERA before running into some bad hit luck in the first half of September. He finished the year with a 3.21 ERA in 70 innings.

"There was just a small fracture in there," Lovullo said. He wasn't going to be put into a situation where it was going to break any more. It was just managing the pain tolerance. We needed to give him a few days off. We didn't put him on the IL. And [3] days later he's out there gutting it out and it eventually healed on its own."

For some, this news may be juxtaposed against the Ketel Marte situation, and how the team handled other injuries, or days off for players returning from injury down the stretch. Marte suffered a high ankle sprain in August, tried to play through it, but eventually was placed on the injured list.

Upon returning, he was given several days off in between starts, and controversially, Marte requested a day off himself on September 23 with just a week to go in the season. Lovullo defended his player at the time, and did so again on Tuesday.

Other players such as Christian Walker, Gabriel Moreno, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. returned from the injured list in September under what the team calls the "return to play protocol." Usually the team has the player take a day or two off in between their first games back, as they work to get their feet under them. But these days off came at critical times, and not without some criticisms on social media.

Asked if he had any regrets with how he managed these injured players, Lovullo gave an impassioned answer.

"I wish I could answer that perfectly. I know how to push, where to push, when to push. When the player is in that return to play protocol I can't get him out of it any faster than [the medical team] suggests. I'm not a doctor, I'm the manager of the baseball team and I can only do so much. I respect our medical team. It's one of the best in baseball."

Speaking to the Marte situation in particular, Lovullo went on.

"I tried to do my best to make sure that every player understood how important each game was down stretch drive. There's an elite athlete that we're talking about that was giving everything that he possibly could and his tank was on empty. He explained that to me and I respected that. That's how we worked all year long."

"Kevin Ginkel pitched with a broken bone in his leg. I told you that players were doing things that were so out of the norm for one another. You watch [Gabriel Moreno] run down the line [slowly], that's not who we are, but to get him in the lineup over the last week and play the amount of games that he played, we made that sacrifice."

"They were gutting it out. Everybody was gutting it out and giving everything they could. I have no regrets with what the team gave each other and me."

Mike Hazen jumped in at this point, wanting to make clear his perspective as well. "There has to be a trust, that we trust them, and understand them, and listen to them. And there's a time where you push."

There were times this year the team tried to push a player, and it backfired. Alek Thomas is perhaps one example of that, and of course Marte is another, initially trying to push through the ankle injury.

"The concept of making a guy go out and play, or pushing a guy past [his limits], and then we're re-injuring him, which happened this year, then the conversation turns in the other direction of like how did we do that." Hazen said.

"[Marte] wanted to push, and we wanted to, and it just didn't work out. So I think there is a balance of all those things."

The General Manager is convinced that Lovullo is doing the best possible job in managing these situations.

"He does as good a job as anyone I've ever been around of getting his players to buy into him and what he needs. And when he needs to tell them I need it, they listen."

Hazen also emphasized that it's not appropriate to just insist a player go beyond their capability when injured. When a player is hurt, you can't just respond with "you have to play," Hazen said.

"We'd all love to say that. We'd all love to be in a position to say 'well I'm the boss and I'm going to tell you to go do it.' That's just not how it works. It's not realistic in my mind. I think that balance has to get struck over the long term."

The word trust kept coming up in the course of this conversation. Hazen once again sung the praises of his manager, revealing the things he most values from the position.

"I think one of the reason's Torey has been as successful as he has, with this group is because of the trust they have in each other."

Injuries are part of the game. The 162-game season is a test of endurance, fortitude, team depth, and at some point, luck too. The players will now have the entire offseason to heal up and get ready for next spring.