Victor Martinez Placed on DL Due to Irregular Heartbeat After Hospitalization

The Detroit Tigers announced Sunday they placed designated hitter Victor Martinez on the disabled list with an irregular heartbeat.

"You don't mess around with the heart," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said of the decision, per ESPN.com. "We're not talking about a sprained ankle or something minor like that. This is something you take very serious because it could be life-threatening. That's what we're going to do. I don't know what's going to happen going forward."

This is another setback after Martinez was hospitalized and placed on the disabled list earlier in the season with an irregular heartbeat. Martinez sports a .255 average with 10 home runs and 47 RBI this season.

When healthy, Martinez is one of the best players in Detroit's lineup. He is a five-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner and drilled 27 home runs last season. He entered the 2017 campaign with seven different seasons of at least 20 long balls and has played for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Tigers throughout his career. 

The Tigers also announced they called up JaCoby Jones to replace Martinez on the active roster.

Nick Castellanos replaced Martinez as the designated hitter for Sunday's game against the Chicago White Sox, and that may be the Tigers' plan to adjust to Martinez's absence going forward.