CHICAGO -- For the second time in three months, Victor Martinez has been sidelined after an episode with a rapid heartbeat. The Tigers' designated hitter spent Saturday night in a Chicago hospital after experiencing atrial fibrillation following Saturday's win over the White Sox.
Martinez was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday with an irregular heartbeat. Doctors were able to regulate the heartbeat, and he's expected to be discharged from the hospital Sunday and driven back to Detroit, where doctors will try to determine the cause and what needs to happen to ensure his health.
"You don't mess around with the heart," manager Brad Ausmus said. "That's just obvious. We're not talking about a sprained ankle or something minor like that. This is something you take very serious, because it could be life-threatening, and that's what we're going to do."
Ausmus said Martinez felt his heart rate racing following his final at-bat Saturday. He told head athletic trainer Kevin Rand, who recommended Martinez be hospitalized. Martinez was concerned, Ausmus said, but more at ease than he was during his first such episode in June. Martinez spent a few days in a Detroit hospital in that case, and he wore a heart monitor for the next week.
"They need to find out why it's happening again," Ausmus said, "and they're not sure why."
Martinez has a history of heart issues in his family. His father died of a heart attack when he was young. For Players Weekend, Martinez wore the nickname "Papicho" on the back of his jersey, rather than V-Mart, because it was the nickname his father gave him when he was very young.
With Martinez on the DL, the Tigers recalled center fielder JaCoby Jones from Triple-A Toledo to fill the roster spot. Jones was just optioned to Toledo on Saturday to make room for pitcher Buck Farmer. He started in center field for the Mud Hens on Saturday night, going 2-for-5.