Despite J.D. Martinez showing diminished power and run production in 2022, the Los Angeles Dodgers took a chance by giving him a $10 million deal for 2023.
Now that Martinez has rewarded the investment with another All-Star season, the challenge now for the Dodgers is to keep their almost 36-year-old designated hitter healthy.
Martinez returned from an eight-day break to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday, and the teams will meet again Wednesday at Los Angeles.
Martinez went 1-for-4 on Tuesday in his first action since Aug. 6. The injury diagnosis has been a bit vague, with the Dodgers saying it is anywhere from the groin to the hamstring to the lower back. Even an MRI proved inconclusive.
Easier to see is what Martinez means to the Dodgers. His RBI double off the left-field wall in the sixth inning Tuesday gave the Dodgers their first lead of the game at 2-1. The five-run inning powered a 6-2 victory over the Brewers.
In an offense loaded with talent, Martinez’s 77 RBIs are third on the team behind fellow All-Stars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
“It was a little nerve-wracking since I haven’t played in a game in eight days,” Martinez said on the SportsNet LA broadcast. “It was kind of like, ‘All right, let’s see how this goes today.’ But I was relieved because my adductors felt good and everything felt good. My body feels good and I was able to come through.”
The Dodgers are set to send left-hander Clayton Kershaw (10-4, 2.51 ERA) to the mound. Kershaw returned Thursday from a stint on the injured list and gave up one run on three hits in five innings to the Colorado Rockies.
In 17 career starts against the Brewers, Kershaw is 7-5 with a 2.97 ERA. In a start at Milwaukee on May 10, Kershaw gave up one run on five hits over seven innings with eight strikeouts.
The Brewers will counter with left-hander Wade Miley (6-2, 2.90) in the battle of first-place teams. He is 4-7 lifetime with a 4.47 ERA against the Dodgers in 17 appearances (16 starts).
After spending nearly a month on the injured list with a left elbow discomfort, Miley has made two starts, giving up a combined two runs on five hits in 10 innings of a pair of no-decisions. Milwaukee ended up losing both games.
Brewers starter Adrian Hauser pitched well early Tuesday, allowing one hit through four innings, but was chased in the sixth inning when the Dodgers scored five runs and took control of the game.
Three Brewers pitchers saw action in the inning as the Dodgers sent 10 batters to the plate. The Los Angeles outburst started with a one-out throwing error by Milwaukee third baseman Andruw Monasterio.
“We make the play for the second out and it’s probably a different inning,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “Even after that, four ground balls went through. The chances of that seem pretty slim, but it happened. In between, Martinez hit a ball hard.”
Milwaukee saw its four-game winning streak come to an end to start a tough stretch of the current road trip. After their visit to Los Angeles, the Brewers head to Texas to face the Rangers, who lead the American League West.
Even with the defeat, the Brewers maintained their 3 1/2-game lead over the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds in the National League Central.
–Field Level Media
