Angel Martinez Set to Begin Rehab Assignment After Weeks-Long Injury

The Cleveland Guardians are nearly back to full strength.

After a disastrous Saturday night outing against the Detroit Tigers back on Saturday, June 13, where Chase DeLauter, Angel Martinez and José Ramírez all suffered injuries that led to them being placed on the injured list, they are almost all back on the diamond.

On Friday, July 17, ahead of the Guardians' series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Stephen Vogt confirmed that Martinez is recovering well. The 24-year-old will play five innings of Triple-A ball with the Columbus Clippers on Friday night, slowly ramping him back up to play regular major league action.

#Guardians manager Stephen Vogt says that Angel Martínez will play 5 innings tonight in a rehab assignment with AAA Columbus #GuardsBall x @WEWS
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) July 17, 2026

Since being off the diamond with a non-displaced left foot fracture, the Guardians have been able to sneak out wins and find ways to still get productivity from the outfield.

However, his ability to put pop on the baseball at any moment has been surely missed.

On the campaign, Martinez has posted a .239/.276/.442 slashing line for an OPS of .718. While he has struck out quite a bit, posting 53 to just seven walks, he has bashed 11 doubles, one triple and 11 home runs, balancing out his swing-and-miss tendency with power.

His play at the plate is also resulting in runs being put on the board, as he has scored 28 himself and sent in 33.

When he returns to the big leagues in the next few days, as long as his rehab assignment goes well, the Guardians will have questions to face.

In his place, the front office has turned to Kahlil Watson and Petey Halpin, both of whom have value to the team in Cleveland. Watson, like Martinez, can change the game with the swing of his bat and even produced a walk-off single to take down the Chicago White Sox a few series back.

Halpin, on the other hand, gives the coaching staff a defensive replacement or pinch-runner who can fly in late-game situations.

Of the bunch, Halpin is likely Cleveland's first option to send back down, which would give Watson more time to get acclimated to the majors and solidify a spot on the roster when they expand before the postseason.

With Martinez returning, questions have obviously been asked about Ramirez's health. Vogt shared that he is not 100% yet, but is trending in the right direction. Unlike Martinez, it is not certain whether or not he will have to go on a rehab assignment before returning. As long as he feels ready to go, he could jump right back to the big leagues off the injured list.

The Guardians, who sit first in the American League Central standings, are looking to put a bit of distance between themselves and the Chicago White Sox.

And health will play a big role in if that ends up happening.

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