The Los Angeles Dodgers have been without many of their top offensive players over the last few days, which includes J.D. Martinez, Max Muncy and Will Smith.
Muncy and Smith are both expected to return during this weekend’s series against the St. Louis Cardinals, but the status of Martinez remains up in the air. The designated hitter missed their last three games against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to back discomfort.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was hoping Martinez would return to the lineup on Wednesday, but he remained out through Thursday.
The Dodgers are hopeful Martinez will not need a stint on the 10-day injured list, but he hasn’t been able to swing over the past few days, Roberts said on SportsNet LA:
“He hasn’t swung the bat in three days, so today, potentially he’s going to get a little bit more active. It’s certainly been a little bit longer than we already expected. Hoping that IL is not a possibility. I think [Thursday] will be telling as far as improvement.”
Without Martinez being able to swing, there is some concern over the injury. If it doesn’t show improvement, that could lead to the 35-year-old undergoing an MRI:
“Yeah, because he’s a guy that really swings a lot. For him to not be able to feel like he could do that, is certainly telling. … I haven’t heard as far as our training staff. Right now they’re treating symptoms, but I’m sure taking a scan is probably going to be on the table if it doesn’t improve.”
If Martinez needs a trip to the IL, the decision will likely be made on Friday when the team activates Muncy from the paternity list. However, they could option Luke Williams instead and hold out on a Martinez decision until Saturday, when Smith is expected to be reinstated from the concussion IL.
If Martinez stays active when Smith returns, Austin Wynns could be designated for assignment, or Michael Busch might be optioned back to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Still, the Dodgers hope it doesn’t come to placing Martinez on the IL as losing him would have a negative effect on the offense overall. He is batting .250/.309/.512 with nine doubles, two triples, three home runs, 14 RBI and a 120 wRC+ in 92 plate appearances across 23 games this season.
Dodgers playing on Appple TV+ on Friday
The Dodgers are back on Apple TV+ for their series opener against the Cardinals on Friday night. The game at Dodger Stadium is exclusively being streamed on Apple TV+ as part of their “Friday Night Baseball” schedule for the 2023 season.
Los Angeles Angels broadcaster Wayne Randazzo will handle play-by-play duties and be joined in the booth by Dontrelle Willis, who is in his second season as a Dodgers analyst for SportsNet LA. Heidi Watney will also be part of the Apple stream as the reporter.
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