J.D. Martinez recorded a hit for Port. St. Lucie on Saturday, and while seeing him in game action may have been tantalizing for Mets fans, the veteran still has some more ramping up to do before he’s back with the big league club.
According to manager Carlos Mendoza, Martinez will not join the Mets for their upcoming series in Atlanta, which had previously been discussed as a possibility.
Mendoza said Martinez is dealing with “overall body soreness,” which is nothing out of the ordinary for a player beginning a new season.
“Obviously, he played last night and he’s going to be off the next couple of days. We’re not going to see him in Atlanta. That was the decision, he’s going to stay down in Port. St. Lucie and get more at-bats,” said Mendoza. “It’s one of those things where he’s feeling it, body-wise. Like I said, quick ramp up, a lot of at-bats on the backfields, and now that he’s got to start playing in games and he’s got to go through his routine. Sitting down, waiting for his at-bats, it’s not like he’s hitting every inning.
“It’s going to take him a little bit longer. That’s why we’ve been saying it’s fluid, so we’ll see where we are next week.”
Mendoza reiterated that the plan all long was to be flexible with Martinez, with the club understanding that the 36-year-old was “going to need a lot of time.”
Martinez, who signed with the Mets in late March, will likely play again on Tuesday, either in a real game or in a backfield game.
The good news is that the slugger, who has 315 career home runs, is feeling good at the plate. The key now is just overcoming that initial wave of soreness to get to a point where he’s ready to join the heart of the Mets’ batting order.
“Timing-wise, he’s feeling good. It’s just overall body soreness that every player goes through,” Mendoza said. “Especially when a position player reports for spring training, that second week is the toughest one, especially when you start playing games and longer days and more activities and things like that, and that’s what he’s going through right now.”
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
