The Rangers placed Martin (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, retroactive to May 19, due to right shoulder fatigue.
The right-hander exited Sunday's contest due to the shoulder injury after departing due to an elbow issue earlier in the week, and he's now headed to the injured list. It's unclear how long Martin is expected to be sidelined, but he'll be unavailable for at least the next couple weeks. Cole Winn was called up to fill the opening on the 26-man roster.
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Rangers' Chris Martin: Returns to action
Rotowire
Martin (elbow) threw a scoreless inning in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Astros.
Martin recently dealt with elbow tightness and hadn't pitched since Tuesday, but imaging came back negative. With closer Luke Jackson (hand) still dealing with an injury, Martin could snag save opportunities in the short term.
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Rangers' Chris Martin: Managing shoulder issue
Rotowire
Martin was removed from Sunday's game against the Astros due to right shoulder discomfort, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
The right-hander departed after throwing just one pitch Sunday, which is the same thing that happened when elbow tightness forced him from Tuesday's game versus Colorado. It could be encouraging that Martin didn't aggravate the same injury, but the fact a 38-year-old is dealing with different arm issues in such a short window is worrying in its own right.
Martin said Wednesday that an MRI on his right elbow came back negative, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
Martin was removed from Tuesday's game against the Rockies due to tightness in his pitching elbow, but he looks to have avoided a major injury. The reliever will play catch pregame Wednesday but is likely to be unavailable for at least a day or two.
Martin was removed from Tuesday's game against the Rockies due to right elbow tightness, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Martin threw just one pitch Tuesday before signaling to come out of the game. He'll presumably undergo tests to determine if he's dealing with any structural damage, and the Rangers should know more about his injury in the near future. With Luke Jackson (hand) also nursing an injury, Robert Garcia may now be the top high-leverage arm in Texas' bullpen.
Rangers' Chris Martin: Serves up go-ahead homer in loss
Rotowire
Martin (0-2) took the loss Friday against the Mariners after giving up two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings. He struck out one without walking a batter.
Martin served up a go-ahead two-run homer to Cal Raleigh in the eighth inning, allowing the Mariners to score what were ultimately the winning runs. Although the veteran right-hander entered spring training as Texas' presumed favorite for saves, he's fallen behind Luke Jackson in the bullpen pecking order to open the campaign. Even so, Martin holds a 2.25 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB with four holds over eight innings this year, so he should remain in the high-leverage mix going forward.
Martin struck out two batters in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his first save of the season in a 4-3 win over the Red Sox.
Martin got the call to close things out Saturday after Luke Jackson was used for the first two games of the series. Martin had no problem getting through the inning and earned the save after striking out Triston Casas. Martin needed only 13 pitches (nine strikes), and given the Rangers used five relievers in Saturday's win, he could have his number called in Sunday's series finale.
Martin struck out two in a scoreless eighth inning Monday as the Rangers topped the Royals in exhibition play.
After Robert Garcia pitched the seventh inning, Martin handled the eighth and Luke Jackson closed things out in the ninth. After the game, manager Bruce Bochy said it was "pretty close" to how he plans to use his late-inning mix this season, although he added that the roles are not yet completely defined, Michael Bier of Foul Territory TV reports. Martin has been viewed as the top candidate to close for the Rangers, but Bochy might be considering him in more of a setup role. It's a situation that still lacks clarity as we close in on Opening Day.
