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ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JULY 31: J. D. Martinez (28) of the Red Sox hustles down to first base during the regular season game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays on July 31, 2021 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JULY 31: J. D. Martinez (28) of the Red Sox hustles down to first base during the regular season game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays on July 31, 2021 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

JD Martinez Scratched from Red Sox Lineup vs. White Sox with Back Injury

Joseph Zucker
Sep 10, 2021

Boston Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez was scratched from Friday's series-opener at the Chicago White Sox with back spasms, according to the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham.

The Sox previouslyย placed the four-time All-Star on MLB's COVID-19 injured list in August, with manager Alex Cora saying at the time hadn't been feeling well.

The designation interrupted a solid 2021 season at the plate. Through 131ย games, Martinez has 25ย home runs, 89 RBI and a .286/.353/.528ย slash line.

That's a far cry from the shortened 2020 campaign, when he posted a .680 OPS, the second-lowest of his career.

Boston has exceeded expectations, climbing to second in the American League East, nineย games behind the Tampa Bay Rays.ย Martinez's relative return to form has had a hand in the team's success.

The Red Sox still have Rafael Devers and Hunter Renfroe in the middle of the order, and they acquired Kyle Schwarber from the Washington Nationals ahead of the MLB trade deadline. As long as Martinez isn't out for an extended stretch, the lineup should be able to hold its own.

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