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Injury questions Red Sox DH JD Martinez’s status for ALDS
A forced ankle injury JD Martinez to stay on the sidelines for the thrilling Wild Card victory over the New York Yankees. With the Boston Red Sox Advancing to the American League Divisional Series, the veteran designate hitter is eager to get back into the lineup.
Unfortunately, the decision is not entirely up to him. His body will have to cooperate for Martinez to join the list. According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, Martinez’s ankle injury appears “very serious.” While the update that there is no structural damage brings a sigh of relief, Martinez could be sidelined for a few more days, questioning his status for the ALDS.
The Red Sox will travel to Tampa Bay to meet the Rays in the ALDS opener Thursday. It doesn’t look like Martinez is ready to go by then, but he should be fighting to be on the list. A few extra days of recovery could jeopardize his status for the first game or two, but a day off on Saturday as the teams head to Boston saves him extra time before Game 3.
If there’s any chance he’s up for a part of this series, the Red Sox need to put Martinez on the roster. Using it as DH lessens the risk of ankle inflammation during the game. If the pain is too much to tolerate for a full game, Martinez could be used to pinch, then replace it with a pinch-runner if he gets on base (stand by, Jarren Duran).
The Red Sox plan to use a four-man rotation in the ALDS. Manager Alex Cora will also narrow his circle of trust in the bullpen. He proved he would not hesitate to use the members of his alternate rotation between starts, a practice he used to perfection in the 2018 Championship race and rolled out again in the all-time must-have final of this year’s regular season. While they don’t need that many paddock arms to lean on, it’s easier for the Red Sox to carry an extra bat on the bench.
Martinez injured his ankle in Sunday’s regular season finale in Washington when he tripped over the second baseline as he made his way to right field between innings. Baseball players are notoriously superstitious, but if hitting second base is part of his process, Martinez has to reconsider his routine in the wake of that costly fall. Now that we mention it, let’s scratch the idea of sending Martinez out into the field in general. There’s a reason he’s usually a DH.
If Martinez misses a moment in this upcoming series, expect Kyle Schwarber to take on the role of DH. This allows the Red Sox to deploy their best defensive lineup on the pitch with Kike Hernandez in the middle with Alex Verdugo and Hunter Renfroe in the corners. If Schwarber is the DH, Bobby Dalbec should be blocked at first base.
The defensive roster gets complicated when Martinez and Schwarber are both available. Bringing the two defensive players together in the same lineup with a single DH spot available at a cost.
The advantage Martinez brings with his bat far outweighs the disadvantages the Red Sox risk on the defensive end. If the Red Sox are going to take a Rays lineup that finished second in the majors in points scored, they need their best sticks available and they are definitely better with Martinez in the lineup.
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