D-backs assistant GM Porter says Archie Bradley isn’t going to the farm

It’s no secret that Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Archie Bradley is having a rough season thus far. The fan favorite is sporting an ERA well over 5.00 and has already surpassed his total number of walks from last season in about half the appearances.

Bradley is nearing his last-season totals in hits and earned runs. He also currently holds a career worst .297 opponent batting average.

Despite a very bad first half of the season, D-backs assistant general manager Jared Porter said the team has no plans of sending Bradley anywhere.

“Archie is continuing to work on things up here at the Major League level and we have things we’re working with him on,” Porter said on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Doug & Wolf.

“Before that start in D.C. we thought he was starting to get on a pretty good roll, incorporating his changeup more. We feel at this point Archie can still help us win games up here and we don’t see a need to consider sending him anywhere else.”

Bradley’s June 16 start, which was his only start of the season, lasted just 1.1 innings. He allowed four earned runs on five hits and two walks.

Porter said the team is working with Bradley to address the issue of what is normally a dominate fastball and a curve spin rate that is only among the second percentile in Major League Baseball.

“With relief pitchers, this stuff happens quite often,” Porter said. “If you look around the league, guys’ performances fluctuate.

“Archie’s going to get back on track. He’s a great athlete, he’s got tremendous make-up and he’s working harder than anybody.”

Although the team thinks Bradley can turn it around, he continues to struggle. This raises the question whether or not it’s time for the D-backs’ clubhouse sparkplug to work out the kinks with one of the team’s minor league clubs.

Porter emphatically stated that Bradley will not spend any time in the minors.

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