Guardians Manager Stephen Vogt Provides Encouraging Update on Angel Martinez

The return of Martinez is getting closer every day, and Vogt's recent comments indicate he'll be back very soon.

Jun 10, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Angel Martinez (1) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Guardians could be getting one of their young rising stars back in the lineup very soon.

After the recent return of their superstar third baseman Jose Ramirez, it’s beginning to feel like this Guardians team is finally getting back some of their best players at the right time. Now, it appears that they will be getting the services of outfielder Angel Martinez back anytime now.

Martinez, who’s in his third season with Cleveland, has been held out of action since June 13th with a non-displaced left foot fracture. The good news is he’s been rehabbing well over the course of the last few weeks and even saw playing time with both Akron and Columbus this week.

Guardians' manager Stephen Vogt commented on Martinez’s progress during his rehab assignments, saying he and Martinez both feel good about where he’s at in his recovery.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Martinez came out of last night feeling good. He'll go through a workout today. Activation seems imminent.

— Tom Withers (@twithersCLE) July 23, 2026

Martinez’s outing with the Akron RubberDucks marked his fourth game of his rehab assignment and has shown signs of promise that he’ll be able to contribute to the Guardians once again. Here's what Martinesz’s return could mean for Cleveland moving forward.

Martinez can bring his consistent hitting back to their lineup that has already been improving

Jun 7, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Angel Martinez (1) hits a single against the Texas Rangers during the fifth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s not speculation at this point as to when Angel Martinez will be back, as his recent progress coming back from injury has been going better than expected. Even Martinez himself stated he feels close to a return.

Asked this morning if he feels close to coming off the IL, Angel Martínez smiled and said “I’ve been.”

He played nine innings with Akron last night in the fourth game of his rehab assignment.

— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) July 23, 2026

Martinez was one of the bright spots of the first half of the season for the Guardians before his injury in June. Even with him missing a month of action, he is still tied for the most home runs on the team this season.

He was having his best season of his career this year, making it difficult for Cleveland not to include him in their daily lineups. As others struggled in the first half, including fellow outfielder Steven Kwan, Martinez was a refreshing sight to see with his consistent success at the plate.

Through his 66 games played, Martinez complied a .239 batting average with 54 hits, 28 runs, and 11 home runs. His .442 slugging percentage and .719 OPS ranks amongst his career best, so it's safe to say Martinez is having a stellar year.

All of sudden, this team has a much more comfortable sense of offense with Kwan finally playing like his All-Star self, and the continued rise of rookies Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter.

Before Martinez’s injury, he was playing like a soon-to-be All-Star and really complimented Cleveland’s outfield nicely. A trio of Kwan, Martinez, and DeLauter is the best outfield lineup the Guardians have seen in a long time.

This Guardians team is littered with talent between their veterans and young players, which fuels the ‘power of friendship’ notion of success as a bottom-of-the-league payroll team. It sure will be nice to have Martinez back in Cleveland once again.