After catching up on the news from late last night, here are a few things we’ll be paying attention to around baseball today.
1. Justin Martinez, Christian Montes De Oca to go for imaging:
With two outs and a four-run lead in the ninth inning on Monday, the Diamondbacks were forced to pull Justin Martinez, as the hard-throwing right-hander felt tightness in his elbow (per Alex Weiner of AZ Sports). The D-backs would go on to win the game on a walk-off grand slam in the 11th inning, but they’re not out of the woods yet. The words “elbow tightness” are always scary, and especially so for a 23-year-old who hits triple digits and has already undergone Tommy John surgery once in his career. Martinez has not been quite as effective this year as he was in his breakout 2024 season, as higher walk and home run rates have inflated his ERA from 2.48 to 4.11. Nonetheless, losing the righty for any amount of time would be a tough blow for a bullpen that ranks 27th in ERA and a team that has underperformed expectations this season. Arizona should know more about Martinez’s status after he goes for imaging today, but as Weiner notes, the team’s level of concern is high.
To make matters worse, Weiner reports that concern levels are also high for Martinez’s fellow right-handed reliever Christian Montes De Oca. The 25-year-old made his MLB debut over the weekend, pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings against the Reds. He was unavailable last night due to discomfort in his right elbow (per Weiner), and he will also go for imaging today.
2. Giancarlo Stanton to begin rehab assignment:
Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton has been out all season with injuries in both elbows, but he will make a big step toward his return tonight. The 35-year-old is scheduled to play in his first rehab game with the Double-A Somerset Patriots, which the team confirmed this morning. While injuries have plagued Stanton throughout much of his tenure with the Yankees, he has continued to produce when healthy. In 2024, he hit 27 home runs and drove in 72 in just 114 games, putting up a .773 OPS and 116 wRC+. He also added seven more homers and a 1.048 OPS in the playoffs, helping the Yankees reach the World Series for the first time since 2009. So, New York will surely be happy to have his bat back whenever he is ready, but manager Aaron Boone will have his work cut out for him figuring out how to insert Stanton into the lineup. At this point in his career, Stanton is a DH only, but the Yankees already have a regular DH in Ben Rice. They also have Paul Goldschmidt at first base and a crowded outfield picture that includes Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Jasson Domínguez. Ultimately, having too many good hitters is the kind of problem every manager dreams of, but it will be worth watching to see how Boone divides up playing time once Stanton returns.
3. Bullpen sessions for former Cy Young winners:
Max Scherzer and Blake Snell have a few things in common. They’re the only active pitchers to have won a Cy Young in both leagues. They’ve both spent most of the season on the IL after signing a free agent contract with a new team over the winter. Today, they’re both expected to throw a bullpen session as they work toward their returns. Snell, who is currently with the Dodgers in San Diego, threw what the team called a “touch-and-feel” session on the weekend and will throw a proper bullpen today (per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). Similarly, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports that Scherzer will also throw a bullpen session today, and if all goes well, he could potentially rejoin the Blue Jays after just a pair of Triple-A rehab starts. Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith suggests Scherzer’s bullpen session could be tomorrow instead, but either way, Scherzer is ramping up for a rehab appearance on Friday. Due to injuries, both Toronto and L.A. have struggled to put together complete five-man rotations this year. Needless to say, the returns of Scherzer and Snell would make a big difference for both clubs.
With the Yankees, the solution would seem to be a platoon of Rice and Stanton at DH. Rice has been great against righties, but has done poorly in a small sample against lefties, while Stanton for his career has naturally been better against lefties. It would give Stanton plenty of rest and hopefully keep him healthier and ready to go come playoff time.
It will be a rotation between Goldy, Stanton and Rice with Rice probably catching here and there. Stanton will need plenty of off days and Goldy is old and still below average vs. rhp.
Let’s see if Stanton makes it through his rehab assignment without injuries first.
They’re not going to platoon Stanton. Goldy will get more breaks at 1B with Rice there against RHP and come off the bench to pinch hit.
Welcome back, Mike Stanton.
*GIANCARLO
@Blue Baron
If you want to be very specific, it’s Giancarlo Cruz-Michael
He goes by Giancarlo
@Blue Baron
At one point, he want by Mike.
Justin Verlander says “hello”…
Verlander has only won AL Cy Youngs.
@Ben4MVP
AL is the Mickey Mouse league of baseball. It’s harder to get the NL Cy Young. Can’t believe the NL allowed the Mickey Mouse league to force them to adopt the DH. The least athletic position on the field.
Have you seen pitchers hit? It’s embarrassing.
@Newms22
What did you expect when they don’t train pitchers to hit? Of course they would get worse and worse…
In 1960 – at least 12 years prior to the AL DH – only 60 pitchers had 50 ABs, only 36 of those hit over .150, only 12 hit over .200, 3 over .250.
Gosh do we miss that – please give us more
It’s not as bad as the Dodgers injuries, but the Dbacks are experiencing some pretty bad luck with pitchers this year – Montgomery, Puk, Burnes, Martinez, Graveman, Jameson, Mena, Montes de Oro, etc. Hate to lose your ace and two closers.
Blake Walston (former 1st round pick) is also out for the year, and Eduardo Rodirguez was hurt for a while too, Kyle Amendt (one of their more promising minor league bullpen arms) is currently on the IL in Reno. It’s been rough.
Mark Prior strikes again….
If the D’Backs keep having pitchers going down, well there is not much else at Reno. Where else will they start looking.? I have not heard anything on Jarvis or Ginkel? Other than that, the cupboard is almost bare at AAA, may have to start signing some castoff’s from other teams ala LA Dodgers.
Jarvis is being called up today with Brigham being sent down. Ginkel seems unlikely to be recalled yet, as he’s still having a ton of control issues down in Reno. They may be forced to rush him back up though, if they run out of other options.
Kind of a genius move by Cashman & Co. You know Stanton is only gonna be playable for half the season. So make up some BS injury and make it the second half going into the playoffs.
Well played yanks
Apparently you haven’t heard from all of the qualified doctors who post on this site, who all diagnosed Stanton with a very real bench press injury when he hit the IL. He lifts too many weights, they said
Stanton has a real fit body as long as he doesn’t have to move at all. Lol
Nick, YOU posted that Scherzer threw a bullpen on the 8th. mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/blue-jays-notes-scherze… He won’t be throwing another one today. Maybe the side session that was reported at that time and probably tomorrow, not today.
Learn how to read. Nick didn’t write this article.
Get online earlier. Nick was listed as the writer originally.
That Leo EDITED the article later is not relevant to when I commented.
Also, are you trying to say that Leo shouldn’t know about the other articles posted on this website about this subject BEFORE he post a new article about? Maybe Leo should read the website. If Nick and Leo read the articles they linked to they would have SEEN the information that was in the earlier MLBTR post. Get a clue.
“as higher walk and home run rates have inflated his ERA from 2.48 to 4.11.”
This statement feels extremely disingenuous, as Martinez has only given up 1 home run this year. The “rate” is higher because he’s only thrown 15.1 inning so far.
Perhaps more compelling injury news for the Yankees is the recent transfer of pitcher J.T. Brubaker’s rehab assignment to Triple A Scranton. Let American League hitters be warned of his pending arrival at 161st and River Ave.!!!