J.T. Ginn, acquired in Chris Bassitt trade, earns first major-league call-up with A’s

OAKLAND — The A’s bullpen is in need of relief. So, naturally, they’re calling upon a starter.

Right-hander J.T. Ginn, acquired as part of the trade with the Mets that sent Chris Bassitt to New York, was called up to the majors prior to Tuesday’s game against the Rays, the first big-league call-up of his professional career.

“It’s a crazy feeling,” Ginn said. “It really is. It’s hard to describe. I called my parents, family, friends and told them and shared that moment with them. It was awesome.”

In a corresponding move, left-hander Scott Alexander has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 18) with left rotator cuff tendonitis.

Ginn, who had a 5.72 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) for Triple-A Las Vegas, has been a starter for his entire professional career, but the A’s plan to use him out of the bullpen in a long relief role.

“He’s been throwing the ball pretty well,” said manager Mark Kotsay. “Obviously, we need some length right now. The bullpen is a little bit tapped. The timing of it is really good for him, and we’ll do our best to kind of ease him in, put him in a situation — we’re going to use him more in length, not necessarily leverage. It also gives him a chance to go out and get some outs in the big leagues and experience what it’s like to be a part of this group.”

Ginn, a second-round selection in the shortened 2020 MLB Draft, has almost no experience pitching out of the bullpen as a professional. The right-hander has appeared in 59 career minor-league games, being used as a long reliever on only one occasion. At Mississippi State, Ginn was solely used as a starter.

“You lean on some of the guys who have done it,” Ginn said. “You just ask your teammates how to maneuver that. At the end of the day, when you get out there, it’s the same game. You get hitters out, whether it’s out of the ‘pen or the same game.”

Ginn has endured a plethora of injuries in recent years. In March 2020, Ginn underwent Tommy John surgery while at Mississippi State. In 2022 and 2023, Ginn only made 20 total starts due to forearm issues. Ginn has managed to avoid any health-related setbacks this season, appearing in 21 total games (20 starts) with Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas.

With Las Vegas, Ginn had a groundball rate of 53.9 percent, the fifth-best mark in the Pacific Coast League (min. 50 innings). For context, that mark would be the fifth-best in the majors this season among qualified pitchers.

“The sinker and slider has always been my bread and butter,” Ginn said. “I’ve thrown (the sinker) since I was in high school, since I started pitching. The development of it is using it and knowing where to use it and what I’m trying to accomplish with that pitch, which is get ground balls and weak contact early in counts.”

First-rounder earns quick promotion to Double-A
Less than a month into his professional career, first baseman Nick Kurtz, the fourth overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft, has earned a promotion to Double-A Midland, skipping High-A Lansing altogether.

“He dominated college baseball in most categories,” Kotsay said. “When you send them out, you want to make sure they get their feet on the ground, they handle themselves. He checked all the boxes. It’s exciting to have a player of that stature in the organization make a move like this. At this level, we’ll see where he stacks up and give us a good evaluation of where he’ll start next year.”

In seven games with Single-A Stockton, Kurtz went 10-for-25 (.400) with four home runs and 12 RBIs. The 21-year-old totaled more walks (10) than strikeouts (seven), reaching base multiple times in all but one game.

“He was effectively like cosplaying Matt Olson in A-ball,” A’s general manager David Forst said on A’sCast. “It just wasn’t great for his development. We wanted to challenge him.”

Challenge accepted: Kurtz had two hits, including a double, in his Double-A debut for Midland Tuesday night.