CLEVELAND -- The painful reaction that came across Angel Martínez’s face in the seventh inning on Monday proved to be a foreboding sign.
The hope now is things aren’t as bad as they may have seemed.
Martínez exited the Guardians’ 7-3 loss to the White Sox in the series opener with right flank inflammation, the club announced. While manager Stephen Vogt noted the decision to pull the 24-year-old was precautionary, you can’t help but hold your breath a bit for any physical issue this time of year.
“We pulled Angel out of precaution,” Vogt said. “We'll know more tomorrow.”
Martínez came to the plate in the seventh inning Monday and had an awkward-looking swing on the first pitch of his at-bat against left-hander Hagen Smith. He winced in discomfort, and Vogt and a trainer came out to check on him.
Martínez stayed in the game, but he struck out after whiffing on the next two pitches. Daniel Schneemann then replaced him in the outfield in the top of the eighth, when the Guardians trailed, 6-1.
“We just asked him what he was feeling,” Vogt said. “He said he was feeling all right. It was my decision to take him out with the game state and where we were at. I didn't want something weird to happen to make it worse. They're checking on him right now. We'll know more in the morning.”
Martínez has had a career year for the Guardians and has been a stabilizer in the outfield mix this season. He is slashing .248/.285/.443 with 15 home runs and 53 RBIs in 106 games this season. His .728 OPS would mark a new career high and a 100-point improvement from 2025.
The Guardians have some outfield depth if Martínez needs to rest for a few days. Their active roster includes outfielders such as Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter, Jo Adell, Petey Halpin, Schneemann and David Fry.