Ginn (finger blister) placed on 15-day IL; RHP Barnett recalled

PHOENIX -- Another day, another key player for the Athletics lost to injury.

J.T. Ginn landed on the 15-day injured list before Wednesday’s series finale against the D-backs at Chase Field, joining right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. and hot-hitting infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, who were placed on the IL Tuesday.

The injury bug is reaching brutal levels with the A’s, who now have a season-high 11 players on the IL. That includes All-Star slugger Brent Rooker, who is out for the season due to knee surgery, reigning AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz, Opening Day starter Luis Severino, dynamic utility player Zack Gelof and Gold Glove-caliber center fielder Denzel Clarke.

In Ginn, whose IL placement with a right middle finger blister is retroactive to July 18, the A’s lose their top starting pitcher. Since moving into the rotation on April 10, Ginn is 8-6 with a 3.34 ERA in 19 starts and 96 strikeouts across 102 1/3 innings pitched as a starter this season.

The A’s are hopeful that Ginn will be ready to return when first eligible around the first week of August. As for his spot in the rotation going forward, that remains up in the air. Mason Barnett was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday and could potentially fill Ginn’s next turn in the rotation, which would come Saturday in Minnesota, though the A’s will wait to see how their bullpen usage plays out before then.

It’s clear that the injury pileup has had an effect on the A’s recent freefall. After entering play on June 20 with a .500 record (38-38), the A’s entered Wednesday having lost an MLB-worst 20 of 25 games since then, falling a season-worst 15 games under .500 (43-58). During that stretch, Kurtz, Gelof, Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom have all missed significant time, with Wilson and Soderstrom returning from the IL just before the All-Star break.