On that fateful Saturday afternoon against the Detroit Tigers, the Cleveland Guardians lost three players to injury. Jose Ramirez has already been placed on the injured list and will miss more than a month with a left hamate bone fracture. Chase DeLauter is still awaiting results from tests to determine the extent of his ribcage injury, and Angel Martinez had a chance to return this week after fouling a ball off his foot.
That won’t be the case anymore, as tests determined that Martinez has a fracture in his left foot. It’s a non-displaced one, but it will keep him away from the field for some time anyway. He dodged a bullet in late May, but wasn’t so lucky this time around.
“The Guardians announced Angel Martínez has a non-displaced left foot fracture. Another brutal blow,” team insider Tim Stebbins said on Tuesday afternoon. The team has already placed him on the 10-day injured list and announced his replacement on the active roster: outfielder Petey Halpin.
The Guardians announced Angel Martínez has a non-displaced left foot fracture. Another brutal blow.
— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) June 16, 2026
Martinez has left behind years of mediocrity and has gone from being a well-below-average offensive player to becoming an average hitter (97 wRC+ in 2026 as opposed to 83 and 74 marks in 2024 and 2025, respectively) with power and speed. He has 11 homers and nine stolen bases for the season.
He also left behind his platoon issues and has learned to hit right-handers, sporting a 105 wRC+ against them in 2026. The 24-year-old has even evolved as a defensive player, rating as an average fielder after years of negative Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and Outs Above Average (OAA) numbers.
He is among the most impatient hitters in baseball with his 2.9 percent walk rate, but that hasn’t stopped him from being an above-average regular for Cleveland this year. Losing him, at the same time they lost Ramirez, is definitely a huge blow.
There’s still no word on exactly how long Martinez will miss, but common sense indicates that fractures need at least a few weeks to fully heal, not to mention some rehab games for the player to regain his rhythm before being inserted back in the lineup.
The Guardians’ depth and resolve are being tested these days. They will be without two of their most productive hitters for quite some time.
NEXT: Former Player Doesn't Sugarcoat What Losing Jose Ramirez Means For Guardians
