Griffin placed on DL; Martinez to start

ARLINGTON -- Rangers right-hander A.J. Griffin will not start Saturday as scheduled against the Royals. He was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday, retroactive to Tuesday. The move comes due to inflammation in Griffin's left ankle, caused by gout.
Righty Nick Martinez, called up from Triple-A Round Rock, will start in his place.
"[Griffin] came in today … with the ankle swollen," manager Jeff Banister said. "It was nothing we had yesterday or anything like that."
Griffin is eligible to return April 28. He is 2-0 this season, with a 4.11 ERA and 0.85 WHIP.
Martinez has been in the Rangers system since 2011, and has made 65 appearances for Texas since 2014. Last year, he made five starts and 12 appearances in the Major Leagues, posting a 2-3 record and 5.59 ERA. He has one career start against the Royals, in 2015, when he allowed four runs (three earned) over 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision.

In two Triple-A starts this year, Martinez is 1-0 and allowed five earned runs on seven hits over nine innings, with eight strikeouts.
"This is a guy that's been up and down for the last four years, really," Banister said. "He knows that role very well. I expect Nick will be prepared. Look for him to go out and add on to what he was doing in Triple-A."
Saturday's game will be the third in a four-game series against the Royals, and the Rangers look to extend their winning streak to three.