JD Martinez is on the Red Sox ALDS roster
Martinez was forced to miss the Red Sox’ first-ever Wild Card game after he sprained his ankle in Game 162, tripping over a base on his way to play the outfield at an NL ballpark. Universal DH doesn’t sound so bad when you put it in that context.
When he missed the Wild Card game, Alex Cora said the injury had to be “very serious for him not to post.” If that’s the case, it’s unlikely that he’ll be fit as a fiddle already, just two days later.
Martinez worked out with the team on Wednesday, but his appearance on the roster doesn’t guarantee him in the lineup for the series opener; he just has to be on the roster for the series in order to appear in any of the games.
At the end of the regular season, Martinez was tied for the MLB lead in doubles (a career-high 42), and finished the year with 28 home runs, which is actually considered a down year for him, the fewest he’s hit in a full season since 2016.
Regardless, the Sox could really use a healthy Martinez in the lineup against the Rays; he started all 19 games of the regular-season series, and had 21 hits against them, including seven doubles and a home run. He scored 10 runs and drove in 16.