Welsh said Justin Martinez’s fastball was down five mph and his splitter three mph Wednesday, calling the velo drop the clearest sign the rookie is headed to the IL. With AJ Puk shelved for at least three weeks and Martinez hurt, Welsh expects Kevin Ginkel to get the first crack at ninth-inning work, with Shelby Miller lurking as a secondary option. He advised speculating on Ginkel immediately in any league where saves are scarce, adding that Arizona’s offense is heating up, which could push Ginkel toward double-digit saves before the All-Star break.

Welsh projected Kevin Ginkel to collect the majority of Diamondbacks saves while Justin Martinez heads to the IL with a five-mph velo dip. Martinez’s sinker fell from 101 to 96 and his splitter was three ticks down, a classic injury tell. With A.J. Puk shut down for at least three weeks, the ninth inning now falls to Ginkel’s 97-mph four-seamer/slider combo that produced a 2.70 ERA and 27% strikeout rate in 2024. Welsh added that manager Torey Lovullo rode Ginkel all through last year’s postseason run, signaling organizational trust. He expects fantasy save chasers to find 3-5 opportunities over the next fortnight and advised scooping Ginkel in every 12-team or deeper format before the weekend FAAB frenzy.

Welsh reminded listeners that Kevin Ginkel is back from the IL and is immediately worth a speculative pickup in save-plus-hold or deeper roto formats. Arizona’s bullpen has been “embarrassingly bad,” and Andrew Saalfrank has blown two of the last three chances. With AJ Puk still working his way back, Ginkel—who converted 11 of 13 saves with a 31% K-rate last season—could reclaim ninth-inning duties within a week. Welsh recommended grabbing him now before a potential save this weekend forces a FAAB bidding war.