Manager Torey Lovullo said Friday that Martinez (elbow) is expected to be sidelined for at least 12-to-13 months, Jack Sommers of SI.com reports.
The right-hander is still headed for a second opinion on the UCL sprain that sent him to the injured list earlier this week, but the initial diagnosis is apparently severe enough to safely rule him out for the next year. Martinez's absence could extend through the entirety of the 2026 campaign if traditional Tommy John surgery is necessary. Shelby Miller picked up his seventh save of the season Wednesday, and it appears he'll get the first crack at taking over as Arizona's closer.
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Diamondbacks' Justin Martinez: Will undergo TJ surgery
Rotowire
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Friday that Martinez (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery, Aaron Hughes of SI.com reports.
Martinez was already ruled out for the rest of the 2025 season due to a UCL sprain in the right elbow. After multiple consults, the 23-year-old will undergo Tommy John surgery for a second time after going through with the procedure in 2021. Given the timeline for recovery, Martinez will miss a significant portion of the 2026 season. Shelby Miller is the next man up to take on closing duties for Arizona in Martinez's absence.
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Diamondbacks' Justin Martinez: Out with UCL sprain
Rotowire
The Diamondbacks placed Martinez on the 15-day injured list Tuesday due to a sprained UCL in his right elbow.
The right-hander experienced tightness in the elbow during the ninth inning of Monday's contest, and a UCL sprain is an ominous initial diagnosis. The severity of the issue isn't yet known, and manager Torey Lovullo said Martinez is headed for a second opinion on the MRI result, per Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Even a low-grade sprain could require a lengthy absence, with Tommy John surgery likely being the worst-case scenario. Shelby Miller is likely to be the next man up as Arizona's closer.
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Diamondbacks' Justin Martinez: MRI on elbow on tap
Rotowire
Martinez experienced tightness in his right elbow during the ninth inning of Monday's 8-4 win over the Mariners in 11 innings and will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of an injury, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Martinez waved for the trainers to come out after he was in discomfort upon throwing a sinker. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo would not speculate on the extent of the injury, but he said his level of concern was "very high" following the game. Martinez previously missed most of May while recovering from shoulder inflammation.
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Diamondbacks' Justin Martinez: Exits with trainer
Rotowire
Martinez left Monday's game against the Mariners with an undisclosed injury, Jack Sommers of SI.com reports.
Martinez was one out away from recording his sixth save of the season, but he made a motion for the trainer after throwing a 97 mile-per-hour sinker to Donovan Solano. Martinez is presumably headed for further evaluation to determine the severity of his injury.
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Diamondbacks' Justin Martinez: Struggles with control in save
Rotowire
Martinez registered the save in Wednesday's 2-1 victory over Atlanta, allowing one run on no hits and four walks with four strikeouts in 1.2 innings.
It was certainly a shaky outing by Martinez despite allowing no hits, as he gave up a season-high four walks while throwing just 17 of his 37 pitches for strikes. It was encouraging to see manager Torey Lovullo trust Martinez to record five outs for his fifth save of the year, but the hard-throwing right-hander seems unlikely to be available for Thursday's series finale against Atlanta after tossing so many pitches. Despite owning a 5.79 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 9:5 K:BB over 4.2 innings since coming off the injured list, Martinez still appears to be the favorite for saves in Arizona's bullpen.
Diamondbacks' Justin Martinez: Secures first save since return
Rotowire
Martinez struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the save in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Nationals.
Martinez had been eased back into closing duties since returning from a shoulder injury that cost him most of May. This was his third appearance since coming off the injured list, and he closed the game out after picking up a hold in his last outing Monday versus the Pirates. Martinez is up to four saves, four holds and a blown save over 15 appearances this season. He's also pitched to a 3.46 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 16:7 K:BB across 13 innings. Late-inning duties could continue to be split between Martinez and Shelby Miller in the short term, but the closing job should eventually tilt in Martinez's favor as long as he performs well.
Diamondbacks' Justin Martinez: Strands three inherited runners
Rotowire
Martinez struck out one over a scoreless inning to earn a hold in Monday's 5-0 win over Pittsburgh.
Martinez's hold felt like a save. He entered the eighth inning with none out and the bases loaded and got a strikeout, popout and groundout. At the time when Martinez was activated off the injured list, Arizona manager Torey Lovullo indicated he'd prefer to ease him back before returning Martinez to a ninth-inning role, but Monday's outing may have jump-started the move back to closer.
Diamondbacks' Justin Martinez: Tagged with first blown save
Rotowire
Martinez (1-2) was charged with his first blown save of the season and took the loss Saturday against the Cardinals, coughing up two runs on two hits and a walk in one inning. He struck out two.
Brought on in the bottom of the eighth inning to protect a 4-3 lead in his first action since coming off the IL on Friday, Martinez struck out the first batter he faced but quickly ran into trouble before giving up a two-out, two-run single to Jordan Walker. The usage suggests Shelby Miller would have been used in the ninth if Arizona still held the lead, but it might only take a couple clean appearances for Martinez to regain the closer role. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo told Joe Harris of MLB.com upon Martinez's activation off the injured list Friday that he would be eased back into closing duties. That's easier said than done, however -- he's been tagged for a run in four straight games dating back to late April, prior to being shut down with shoulder inflammation. On the bright side, Martinez showed his usual elite velocity Saturday as he hit triple digits on the radar gun with six of his 23 pitches.
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Diamondbacks' Justin Martinez: Returns from 15-day IL
Rotowire
The Diamondbacks activated Martinez (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Friday.
Martinez has been shelved for most of May with right shoulder inflammation but is ready to go after making two scoreless rehab appearances. He reached 101.1 mph with his sinker during his last outing at Triple-A Reno, which is particularly encouraging after his velocity had dipped prior to the IL stint. Martinez might be eased back into ninth-inning duty, but it shouldn't be long before he reclaims the closer role with Shelby Miller carrying a 5.63 ERA and 2.13 WHIP in May.
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Diamondbacks' Justin Martinez: Could return for weekend series
Rotowire
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said after Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Dodgers that Martinez (shoulder) has a good chance to return from the 15-day injured list for this weekend's series in St. Louis, Jody Jackson of Bally Sports Arizona reports.
Martinez has been on the shelf since May 1 due to right shoulder inflammation, an injury that resulted in a significant drop in velocity in his last couple of relief appearances before he was deactivated. The right-hander seems to have bounced back nicely from the extended rest, as he tossed scoreless innings in both of his minor-league rehab appearances and reached 101.1 miles per hour with his sinker during his most recent outing with Triple-A Reno on Tuesday. Per John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Arizona Sports, Martinez flew back to Phoenix on Wednesday, and assuming the Arizona training staff was satisfied with his health, he'll accompany the Diamondbacks on their road trip and will likely be activated Friday. Martinez should eventually settle back in as the Diamondbacks' preferred option at closer, though it's possible that manager Torey Lovullo chooses to ease him back in with a low-leverage appearance or two.
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Diamondbacks' Justin Martinez: Throws scoreless inning at Triple-A
Rotowire
Martinez (shoulder) allowed one hit over a scoreless inning during a rehab appearance for Triple-A Reno on Tuesday.
Martinez made his second appearance while on rehab assignment after throwing an inning in a rookie-level Arizona Complex League game Saturday. The reliever has already spent more than the minimum 15 days on the injured list, so he could be on track for activation at some point in the coming days.
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