Headlines

  • Angels Part Ways With Phil Nevin
  • Brandon Woodruff Out For Wild Card Series With Shoulder Injury
  • Buck Showalter Will Not Return As Mets Manager In 2024
  • Tim Wakefield Passes Away
  • Felix Bautista To Undergo Tommy John Surgery, Signs Through 2025 Season
  • Rockies Sign Charlie Blackmon To One-Year Extension
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2023-24 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Arbitration Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Dodgers Place J.D. Martinez On Injured List

By Steve Adams | August 22, 2023 at 12:38pm CDT

The Dodgers announced Tuesday that slugger J.D. Martinez has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a groin injury. Infielder Michael Busch has been recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take his spot on the active roster.

Martinez, who turned 36 yesterday, has been hobbled by tightness in his groin recently and hasn’t been in the lineup since Aug. 19. The Dodgers can thus backdate his placement on the IL a couple of days. Even a short-term absence for Martinez removes one of the most potent bats from the Los Angeles lineup, as Martinez has had a resurgent season in the power department, batting .256/.309/.547 with 25 big flies and 23 doubles in 390 plate appearances. He also missed about two weeks earlier this season, owing to discomfort in his lower back.

While Martinez has found some renewed pop after hitting “just” 16 home runs in 2022, the uptick in power has come at the expense of some contact. Martinez’s 31.3% strikeout rate is the highest mark of his career, while his 7.2% walk rate is his lowest since 2014. It’s been a worthwhile trade-off in the aggregate, and Martinez’s career-high 93.1 mph exit velocity and 54.5% hard-hit rate speak to the legitimacy of his restored power.

Martinez is playing the season on a one-year, $10MM deal he agreed to over the winter after wrapping up a five-year, $110MM deal in Boston. He’ll be a free agent again at season’s end.

Busch, 25, entered the season ranked as one of the game’s top 100 prospects but hasn’t found much success in limited MLB opportunities thus far. He’s tallied 51 plate appearances and recorded a tepid .200/.294/.267 batting line with a 31.4% strikeout rate in that time. He’s obliterated Triple-A pitching in Oklahoma City, though, mashing at a .323/.432/.615 clip and swatting 24 home runs in 424 trips to the plate. Strikeouts haven’t been an issue in OKC like they have in the big leagues; Busch has fanned in just 18.9% of his minor league plate appearances this year and countered that with a huge 14.4% walk rate.

Busch can step up and take some of Martinez’s temporarily vacated DH at-bats, and he’ll also give the Dodgers an option at second base, third base, first base or in left field. The former No. 31 overall pick has been primarily a second baseman but has 585 innings at third base, 159 innings at first base and 132 innings in left field in his professional career.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Los Angeles Dodgers J.D. Martinez Michael Busch

Rays Designate Francisco Mejía For Assignment
Main
Yankees Announce Several Roster Moves
View Comments (20)

Comments

  1. Yanks2

    1 month ago

    I completely forgot he even left the Red Sox lol

    Reply
    • acoss13

      1 month ago

      Boston and LA basically swapped Justin Turner and JD Martinez and it has worked out quite well for both players.

      6
      Reply
      • Yanks2

        1 month ago

        JD always seemed like an underrated player to me. He was wel worth his contract with Boston and he’s still putting up respectable numbers given his age

        7
        Reply
      • StreakingBlue

        1 month ago

        Agreed. Only thing is the Dodgers miss using the DH like last season for players who need a day off, but swing a good bat. Will Smith needs a day or two, but with Barnes its tough.

        2
        Reply
      • JoeBrady

        1 month ago

        Both players and both teams. Both have the same OPS+, with the RS getting the flexibility they desperately needed.

        1
        Reply
  2. OhioDodger

    1 month ago

    OK Michael. Here’s your shot. Make it count.

    4
    Reply
  3. In Seager We Trust

    1 month ago

    The one that got away from the Astros

    Reply
  4. StreakingBlue

    1 month ago

    This will finally make the Busch fans happy. Hopefully he will contribute this time up. I haven’t been overly impressed with him when he was given an opportunity earlier in the year.

    1
    Reply
  5. mlb fan

    1 month ago

    This is probably the worst Dodgers team of the last decade and yet they still sit in their customary place, comfortably atop the NL West.

    1
    Reply
    • amk1920

      1 month ago

      This team still has two MVPs and two all stars at the top 4 of the order. I’d say this group is easily better than 13, 14, 15, 16, 19

      4
      Reply
      • mlb fan

        1 month ago

        Just pitching alone makes that a rather dubious, doubtful statement. This is easily the worst Dodger pitching I’ve seen in years….

        1
        Reply
      • BlueSkies_LA

        1 month ago

        Currently on a 100 win pace. From those other seasons:

        2019: 106
        2016: 91
        2015: 92
        2014: 94
        2013: 92

        2
        Reply
    • BlueSkies_LA

      1 month ago

      The meltdowns of the other teams in the division sure helped, especially the Padres.

      2
      Reply
    • Smacky

      1 month ago

      The NL West is a trash fire. It’s always been a trash fire. That’s how they were able to win 105+ games a year so often. Easy when half your schedule is against the flotsam & jetsam of their devision.

      2
      Reply
      • ElysianPark

        1 month ago

        With each team playing fewer games within its own division, and every team playing all of the 29 others, your argument doesn’t now work. Why are they winning so many games THIS year, with the new schedule steucture?

        2
        Reply
  6. norcalblue

    1 month ago

    Michael Busch has been on fire. This opportunity is so well deserved. He has a real chance to be on a postseason roster if anyone is hurt.

    4
    Reply
  7. BlueSkies_LA

    1 month ago

    The most obvious candidates to sub at DH before plugging Busch into that role are Smith and Muncy.

    1
    Reply
  8. Rsox

    1 month ago

    That sucks. Was looking forward to seeing JD’s return to Fenway this weekend

    2
    Reply
    • abcrazy4dodgers

      1 month ago

      There’s always gonna be Brazier and Kike’

      Reply
  9. Smacky

    1 month ago

    They’re playing all of 6 less games per division mate. It’s still 52 games. Read the comment again dude. It starts in present tense and then shifts to past tense – it’s not hard to parse.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Angels Part Ways With Phil Nevin

    Brandon Woodruff Out For Wild Card Series With Shoulder Injury

    Buck Showalter Will Not Return As Mets Manager In 2024

    Tim Wakefield Passes Away

    Felix Bautista To Undergo Tommy John Surgery, Signs Through 2025 Season

    Rockies Sign Charlie Blackmon To One-Year Extension

    Reds Sign Nick Krall To Extension, Promote Him To President Of Baseball Operations

    Giants Fire Gabe Kapler

    Orioles Agree To 30-Year Lease At Camden Yards

    Padres Prefer To Retain A.J. Preller, Bob Melvin In 2024

    Brooks Robinson Passes Away

    Reds’ Matt McLain Shut Down For Remainder Of 2023 Season

    Padres Plan To Reduce Payroll To Around $200MM; Front Office Changes Possible

    Marlins Place Eury Perez On 15-Day Injured List, Select Jeff Lindgren

    Sandy Alcantara Shut Down For Rest Of 2023 Season

    Brandon Lowe To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Kneecap Fracture

    Rays Promote Junior Caminero

    Sean Doolittle Announces Retirement

    Tigers Name Jeff Greenberg General Manager

    Qualifying Offer Value To Land Around $20.5MM

    Recent

    Angels Part Ways With Phil Nevin

    Rich Hill Considering Joining Team Midway Through 2024 Season

    Submit Your Questions For This Week’s MLB Trade Rumors Podcast!

    Brewers Outright Julio Teheran

    Offseason Outlook: Oakland Athletics

    Big Hype Prospects: AFL Sleepers Edition

    Ehire Adrianza Elects Free Agency

    Sam Kennedy On The Search For The Red Sox’ Next GM

    Erasmo Ramirez Clears Waivers

    Brandon Woodruff Out For Wild Card Series With Shoulder Injury

    ad: 300x250_5_side_mlb

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Shohei Ohtani Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • 2023-24 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • MLB Player Chats
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version