PHOENIX — It was the biggest moment of Arizona’s season, perhaps the most critical juncture for a franchise that toiled through many painful years hoping to earn a playoff opportunity like this again.
Up two runs in the sixth inning on Monday night, the Dodgers had the bases loaded with two outs. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo signaled for a reliever who not long ago was toiling away in a Triple-A bullpen, unsure if he’d ever pitch in the big leagues again — let alone a situation like this.
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The 31-year-old Ryan Thompson was designated for assignment by the Rays in mid-August after posting a 6.11 ERA over 17 2/3 innings. He cleared waivers, meaning no team picked him up. Tampa Bay released him instead of keeping him in the organization.
Recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in 2021 had derailed Thompson’s effectiveness. He didn’t feel like the same pitcher who became a stalwart in the notoriously strong Tampa Bay bullpen.
Thompson just wanted a lifeline, a pathway back to the major-league career he’d worked so hard to establish.
Not even eight weeks later, he came out of the Dodger Stadium bullpen. He soaked it all in, looking up at the 51,449 in attendance who wanted him to fail. A difficult spot. But much better than the irrelevance that stared him in the face not long ago.
He recorded the biggest out of the game, doing more than his part to give Arizona a 2-0 lead in the NLDS.
Ryan Thompson, 92mph Paint. 🖌️🎨
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 10, 2023
“There was a long stretch where I didn’t know if I was ever going to be myself again, or maybe my career is winding down,” Thompson said. “That was a tough pill to swallow. There was a chunk there where I felt like this might come to an end.
“To have it work out like you’re seeing … it’s really special stuff. Because this is what you dream about when you’re 6 years old. You dream about these big situations. A packed Dodger Stadium in the playoffs.”
Thompson has an 0.69 ERA since joining Arizona and he’s fit in nicely with a rejuvenated D-Backs bullpen. He’s pitched four shutout innings in the postseason, allowing just two baserunners. It’s hard to overstate the role he’s played in getting Arizona to the brink of its first NLCS since 2007.
The side-armer recognizes he’s got a redemption story. He’s overcome a surgery that can derail careers. And he established himself again after feeling like his old organization quickly lost faith in his ability.
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“He’s been a savior for us,” Lovullo said. “In that sixth, seventh inning, he pounds the zone, a lot of swing and misses with certain pitches. A lot of contact, early weak contact. Balls on the ground.”
The surgery, Thompson said, really impacted his fastball in terms of location and velocity. His average fastball velo has typically sat around 90 mph. But before surgery, he was more consistently able to tick that up a little more when needed.
Getting the surgery was necessary; Thompson had spent a lot of time trying to accurately diagnose what was wrong with his right shoulder. There were days he showed up to the park hoping not to pitch because of the pain he was forced to bear.
But getting the procedure had its risks. Pitching half of his season in Triple-A was the price to pay.
“You hit the panic button when you don’t know how to reset,” Thompson said. “You don’t know how to get back to where you’re at. … You go out there and lose a pitch and it’s a scary feeling.”
The Diamondbacks are thankful he found his pitches. He’s pain-free, but there are times when he feels more like his old self than others. What’s most important, however, are the results.
A mid-season bullpen collapse jeopardized Arizona’s entire season. The Diamondbacks went through a full-scale meltdown following the All-Star break, and the pen was a big part of those failures.
So often, good bullpens aren’t built with expensive contracts. The best ones are developed by savvy decision-making. Trading for closer Paul Sewald, calling up rookie Andrew Saalfrank and taking a flier on Thompson were among the most crucial moves the organization made all year.
“I want to give Ryan Thompson a lot of credit,” Sewald said after recording the 1-2-3 save Monday. “When he got here and took over that seventh inning role, it really started to blend into six, seven, eight, nine, everybody knew their role.”
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The hardest part of getting released was losing out on all the relationships he’d developed. From teammates to coaches to stadium staff, Thompson felt like Tampa Bay was home. There was a certain comfort afforded to him as a player who wasn’t always fighting for a job.
His sudden decline and swift release were almost a shock to the system because he lost out on that comfort.
Thompson has no ill will toward people in Tampa Bay. He has a lot of appreciation for the organization. But he’s proven to more people than just himself that he’s back. And that’s a sweet feeling.
“Tampa didn’t value what I brought to the table,” Thompson said. “That was always something where you have a chip on your shoulder to prove them wrong. I felt like they let me go at a weird time, when they were in a playoff race. I felt like I could have been a big addition to their team.
“They let another team grab me, and I became a pretty important part of this bullpen. There’s no animosity against the Rays. It’s more just showing, ‘This is who I am. And this could have been on your team.’”
(Top photo of Thompson: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
