Although Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Justin Martinez had been succumbing to his pitching vices, walking nearly 18 percent of the batters he faced, the right-hander is still a critical component of the team’s bullpen. The thought of losing his electric arm for the rest of the year is tough to stomach, but that is indeed what the ballclub is anticipating in light of the sprained UCL ligament the 23-year-old suffered earlier this week.
“The concern is high,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo told MLB Network Radio on SirusXM. “He’s going to seek a second opinion, and he’s going to be lost for an extended period of time. It could be 13 months. It could be 12 months, but it’s looking right now that it’s going to be very, very substantial. So it’s very unfortunate… Tremendous loss to the Diamondbacks. Not just because he’s a great pitcher, but he’s just a great young man.”
This is devastating news for a hurler who has already undergone Tommy John surgery in his professional baseball career. Assuming the diagnosis is accurate and another lengthy recovery awaits, Martinez ends his 2025 campaign with a 4.11 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings pitched.
Despite his erratic nature, the Dominican Republic native has closer-caliber stuff. He can devastate hitters with a 100 mph fastball and 90 mph splitter. Unfortunately, throwing with such extreme velocity can result in these type of mishaps. Justin Martinez will gather himself and mentally prepare for this brutal scenario. Arizona’s injury-induced despair continues.
Diamondbacks are in a bind
Once again, the team boasts one of MLB’s top offenses but is struggling to overcome an underachieving and shorthanded pitching staff. The Diamondbacks’ troubling 4.77 team ERA ranks 25th, and their bullpen is the second-worst in the National League right now. They signed former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to a mammoth six-year, $210 million contract in free agency to specifically address this issue. Now, he is set to undergo Tommy John surgery himself.
In the span of a week, the Snakes lose their ace and most promising relief pitcher. A.J. Puk is also working his way back from the 60-day injured list. A three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners is alleviating some of the distress, but this .500 club is still four and a half games out of the third and final NL Wild Card slot.
Withstanding this avalanche of adversity seems infeasible, particularly given Arizona’s residence in the most challenging division in baseball. But that is what they said about the 2023 Diamondbacks.
Many of the core members of that pennant-winning squad remain in The Desert. Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte are producing at a high level and Merrill Kelly is a reliable presence on the mound. Newcomers Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suarez and Shelby Miller are all making a big impact. If Zac Gallen can remember he is in the midst of a contract year and regain his past form, Arizona can possibly survive a bleak fate.
Torey Lovullo knows it will take every ounce of the team’s energy and then some to accomplish that gigantic task, but he also knows what his group is capable of when everyone writes it off.
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