Ginn exits early with right calf cramp, day to day for now

WEST SACRAMENTO -- A banged-up Athletics rotation may have just taken another difficult blow.

In the top of the fifth inning of Friday night’s 3-0 victory over the Reds at Sutter Health Park, starting pitcher J.T. Ginn winced in pain and reached down toward his lower leg area after throwing a changeup to Elly De La Cruz that missed outside for a ball. Catcher Shea Langeliers noticed Ginn’s discomfort and immediately called for manager Mark Kotsay and head athletic trainer Jeff Collins for a mound visit.

After throwing two warmup pitches under the watchful eye of Collins, Ginn appeared to signal that he was still not feeling comfortable and was pulled from the game, being replaced by Tyler Ferguson with one out in the fifth and the A’s holding a two-run lead.

Later in the game, the A’s announced that Ginn was removed from his start due to cramping in his right calf.

“We went out there and talked to him and he wanted to try to throw a couple of pitches to see if it would ease up,” Kotsay said. “It didn’t ease up, so we took the right route and got him out of the game. We’ll go day to day with him right now.”

Ginn’s injury continues what has been a rough second half for A’s pitching. Last month saw the club lose starters Jack Perkins, Jacob Lopez and Joey Estes to the injured list. Of those three, only Lopez is considered a possibility to return before the end of the season, and even that return would likely come in a limited role over the final week of games.

Should Ginn require a stint on the IL, which would essentially bring his season to an end, the A’s would likely turn to right-hander Mitch Spence or reach down to their pitching depth at Triple-A Las Vegas for a replacement, with left-hander Ken Waldichuk and right-hander Kade Morris (rated the club’s No. 16 prospect by MLB Pipeline) as potential options.

Ginn, who ended up holding the Reds scoreless in 4 1/3 innings on two hits and four walks with six strikeouts, said he does not anticipate the calf issue being a long-term injury.

“I just felt it the first pitch of that last at-bat there,” Ginn said. “It kind of just stuck around. … It was just a cramp. I think I’ll be ready to go.”