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The Arizona Diamondbacks are getting a crucial arm back ahead of their three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Right-hander Justin Martinez is being reinstated from the IL after recovering from right shoulder inflammation.
Manager Torey Lovullo spoke on Martinez's rehab performance on the 20th.
“Everything checked out. I spoke to him today. He said he feels good. So we will reevaluate where he is at through the course of the night and tomorrow and figure out what the next plans are.”
That is good news for Dbacks fans. The Diamondbacks need the hard-throwing right-hander back in the bullpen.
On the season, Martinez appeared in 12 games and has a 2.70 ERA in 10 innings. He's allowed three earned runs with 11 strikeouts, three saves, and a WHIP of 1.10. His last outing was back on April 30, when he allowed a solo home run to Tyrone Taylor and walked consecutive batters, Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto.
Since that game, the Dbacks are 10-10. They are in fourth place in the NL West, which is one of the more competitive divisions in the league. Arizona, however, is just five games out of first place in the division. The San Diego Padres are struggling, while the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are playing around the same pace as the Dbacks. The division is currently wide open, as LA has yet to establish themselves as the runaway favorite.
Martinez is one of the better arms in a weak bullpen. The bullpen doesn't have many names but Shelby Miller has stepped up with a 2.18 ERA and five saves. Since adding Kendall Graveman, he has performed well in four innings. He has a 2.25 ERA and two K's with a 1.50 WHIP. Jalen Beeks and A.J. Puk have respectable ERAs below 3.40.
Arizona will send Zac Gallen to the mound against Miles Mikolas on Friday.
