Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hasn't ruled out Martinez playing some outfield this season, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Martinez played primarily in the outfield for the first seven seasons of his career before transitioning to designated hitter in 2018. Last season with the Red Sox, he played all 139 of his games as the DH, and he hasn't played the outfield in a regular-season contest since Oct. 3, 2021. However, the veteran started in left field in Saturday's Cactus League contest against the Cubs and made a nice running catch on the first play of the game. Though Roberts' comments suggest Martinez could occasionally play defense this season, it's uncertain if he'd do so often enough to gain outfield eligibility in fantasy leagues. One reason the team may want to put Martinez in the field from time to time is that doing so could help get catcher Will Smith's bat in the lineup on days when he needs a break behind the plate.
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Dodgers' J.D. Martinez: To serve as everyday DH
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed over the weekend that Martinez will serve as the team's everyday DH in 2023, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
"I don't expect J.D. to DH 162 [games]," Roberts said. "But he's gonna be the guy who is gonna be in that position 99.9 percent of the time." Martinez inked a one-year, $10 million free-agent contract with the Dodgers back in December and has a chance to flourish with a solidified spot in the heart of such a deep and dangerous lineup. He posted a .790 OPS with 16 home runs and 62 RBI in 139 games last season with the Red Sox.
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Dodgers' J.D. Martinez: Inks one-year deal with Dodgers
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Martinez agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with the Dodgers on Saturday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Passan notes that the move to Los Angeles reunites Martinez with hitting coach Robert Von Scoyoc, who was "wildly influential" in Martinez's rise from washout with Houston to star slugger. Martinez was a four-time All-Star with Boston, but his over-the-fence power took a step backward last year (16 home runs) and the Red Sox declined to extend him the qualifying offer for 2023. He played exclusively as a DH last year and figures to be the Dodgers' new primary designated hitter and cleanup man.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: No qualifying offer coming
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Martinez is unlikely to get a qualifying offer from the Red Sox, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
As a 35-year-old designated hitter who was only worth 1.0 fWAR in 139 games last season, Martinez was unlikely to get the qualifying offer. He will likely sign this winter on a short-term deal to serve as another team's primary designated hitter.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Two homers in win
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Martinez went 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI in Wednesday's 6-3 victory over the Rays.
Martinez launched a three-run home run off Josh Fleming in the bottom of the first inning before going deep for a solo shot in the fourth. The homers raised his season total to 16, four of which came in the final 14 games of the season. Martinez will finish the 2022 campaign with a .274 average, 16 home runs, 62 RBI and 76 runs over 533 at-bats in 139 games.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Gets breather Saturday
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Martinez isn't starting Saturday against the Blue Jays.
Martinez will get a day off after he slashed .333/.364/.762 with two home runs, three doubles, five runs and three RBI over the last five games. Xander Bogaerts is serving as the designated hitter and batting third.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Slugs 14th homer
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Martinez went 2-for-4 with a double, a two-run home run and two runs scored Thursday against the Orioles.
Martinez took Dillon Tate deep in the eighth inning to provide the game-winning runs and his 14th homer of the season. He has a modest four-game hitting streak, though his production in that span is notable as he's smacked three doubles and two homers. Despite the recent hot stretch, Martinez has only a .169 ISO across 577 plate appearances this season -- his lowest mark since 2013.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Connects for homer
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Martinez went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and a second run scored in Monday's 14-8 loss to the Orioles.
Martinez launched his 13th home run in the second inning off Jordan Lyles. The 34-year-old outfielder/DH, who will become a free agent this offseason, is in the finishing stretch of his fifth season with Boston. It's been his least productive year with the Red Sox, and Martinez is not expected to return in 2023. Nevertheless, he's expected to start most of the final eight games of 2022.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Riding pine Saturday
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Martinez isn't in the lineup Saturday against the Yankees, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.
Martinez is getting a rare day off after he went just 1-for-10 with a walk and four strikeouts over the last three games. Bobby Dalbec will serve as the designated hitter and bat seventh.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Four XBH in last two games
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Martinez went 2-for-5 with a home run, a triple and two RBI in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Reds.
Martinez's slugging percentage (.423) for the season is still nearly 100 points lower than his 2021 mark (.518), but the 35-year-old is at least showing more pop as the campaign winds down. He's now recorded four extra-base hits in his last two starts, as he previously turned in a pair of doubles in Sunday's 13-3 win over the Royals. He'll be back in the lineup for the Red Sox's series finale in Cincinnati on Wednesday, serving as Boston's designated hitter and No. 5 batter, according to Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Knocks in winning run
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Martinez went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in Friday's 2-1 win over the Royals.
The Red Sox were flummoxed by Kansas City starter Jonathan Heasley over 6.2 innings before getting to the Royals bullpen in the eighth. Dylan Coleman and Scott Barlow combined to walk four batters, when Martinez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and got a slider that caught too much of the plate. The 34-year-old Martinez, who has 11 home runs, 53 RBI and a career-low .422 slugging percentage, is finishing out what is expected to be his final season in Boston.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Hitless in return
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Martinez returned to the lineup and went 0-for-3 with a walk in Wednesday's 1-0 loss to the Rays.
Martinez had missed the previous three games due to back problems. He'll get another off day Thursday before the Red Sox face the Orioles for three games in Baltimore this weekend. The slugger is batting just .200 with two home runs since the All-Star break.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Starting Wednesday
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Martinez (back) is starting Wednesday against the Rays, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.
Martinez was scratched from Tuesday's lineup due to back tightness but will serve as the designated hitter and bat fifth a day later. Over his last four games, he's gone 6-for-17 with a home run, a double, three runs and two RBI.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Should play Wednesday
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Managaer Alex Cora said Martinez (back) is expected to be in the lineup for Wednesday's series finale in Tampa Bay, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
The veteran slugger was scratched from Tuesday's starting nine due to back tightness, but he's expected to rejoin the lineup after missing only one game. Martinez is in the midst of a modest four-game hit streak, during which he is 6-for-17 with a home run, a double, two walks, two RBI and three runs scored.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Scratched from Tuesday's lineup
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Martinez was scratched from Tuesday's lineup against the Rays, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.
He had missed the last two games, which could have been due to middling performance and expanded rosters, but now it seems like something must be bothering Martinez physically. Christian Arroyo was added to the lineup at designated hitter.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Sitting for second straight day
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Martinez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Red Sox.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora provided no indication that Martinez's absence from the lineup in Sunday's 5-2 win against the Rangers was injury-related, but the fact that the 35-year-old is now on the bench for a second day in a row suggests that a physical issue could be in play. An explanation behind Martinez's back-to-back days off could come later Monday, but Tommy Pham will get another turn as Boston's designated hitter in his stead in any event.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Belts homer in win
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Martinez went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Twins.
Martinez, who snapped a 35-game homer-less drought Sunday, now has two blasts in the last four days. The slugger has just 11 home runs for the season, a dip in power he attributed to not firing his hips correctly, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Snaps homer drought
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Martinez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 12-4 loss to the Rays.
It seems unthinkable, but Martinez's homer snapped a 35-game drought without going deep. His last home run was July 10. Even more unthinkable, it took until Aug. 28 for Martinez to reach double-digit dingers -- Sunday's blast was his 10th of the season. He's in the final year of his contract, and the Red Sox are not expected to make an effort to re-sign Martinez.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Day off Friday
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Martinez is not in the starting lineup Friday against the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Martinez will get a day off after he went 3-for-8 with five walks and three runs during a three-game series with the Pirates. Rob Refsnyder will replace him at designated hitter and bat seventh in the series opener.
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Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Provides pair of RBI
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Martinez went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI in Friday's win over the Yankees.
Martinez brought the Red Sox to within one run with his RBI single in the fourth, and his one-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth sent the game to extras, where Boston would eventually win. The game represented Martinez's first multi-hit performance thus far in August -- he'd gone just 5-for-33 (.152) at the plate to begin the month.
