Angel Martínez Deemed Day-to-Day After Guardians’ Injury Scare on Saturday

The Cleveland Guardians won't be without Angel Martinez for too long, as President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti has deemed him to be "day-to-day."

May 23, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Angel Martinez in the dugout during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians got real lucky on Sunday morning.

Following a Saturday night defeat to the Boston Red Sox, 9-1, the focus of the team was more on the health of standout outfielder Angél Martínez and less on the result.

The talented 24-year-old was pulled from the loss on Saturday in the sixth inning, with Stuart Fairchild taking his spot in the outfield. Initially, there was lots of speculation surrounding why he left the contest, but it was later confirmed by manager Stephen Vogt that Martínez was dealing with an expected left foot strain.

Before the Guardians and Red Sox were set to play Sunday afternoon in the series finale, President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti gave a more detailed update on what was officially wrong with Martínez.

The #Guardians have avoided a big blow as President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti confirmed that Angel Martinez has just a mild mid-foot strain. He will be considered day-to-day.

Antonetti viewed this as a positive.#GuardsBall

— Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) May 31, 2026

"Last night, MRI showed a mild, mid-foot strain," he said. "But that's relatively good news, so he'll just be day to day, you know, whether or not he won't start today's game, but whether or not he's available today, figure that out as the day goes on, but really good news, so he should be okay by Tuesday."

The Guardians are likely to keep Martínez inactive on Sunday, no matter what happens during the game, to keep him healthy. Putting him back out onto the diamond less than 24 hours after he aggravated something in his lower body doesn't seem like a smart option.

According to many within the organization, this isn't a new injury for Martínez. This has been something he has been trying to work through for a few days now.

“He did it a couple of days ago on a play, and he's been kind of, obviously, playing through it,” Vogt said postgame on Saturday. "...“Today on one of the flyballs he was running for, he felt it just kind of light up even more. So we took him out, out of precaution..."

Up until this new injury bug, Martínez has been one of the Guardians' most reliable and effective players. Every single time he steps foot on the diamond, he makes things happen, whether it's out in the open grass or at the plate.

May 29, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Angel Martinez (1) hits an RBI single during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

This season, he is currently slashing .243/.281/.449 for an OPS of .730, with 45 hits, nine doubles, one triple and nine home runs. He has also tacked on 29 RBI, which is one of the top marks on the team.

His defensive versatility, allowing him to play every position in the outfield, has made him hard to leave out of the lineup. He has played 55 of the 60 available games this season.

While he will be out of action on Sunday, the hope is that he can return for the Guardians' upcoming series against the New York Yankees on Tuesday. The two sides will kick off a three-game set at 7:05 p.m. EST from Yankee Stadium in New York City.