CLEVELAND (AP) -All-Star catcher Victor Martinez will have surgery on his ailing right elbow and be sidelined at least six weeks, adding another marquee name to the Cleveland Indians’ list of injured players.
Martinez and second baseman Josh Barfield, just called up on Monday, were both placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday. Barfield has a strained left middle finger.
Already on Cleveland’s DL are Jake Westbrook, who had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Thursday in California, Fausto Carmona, a 19-game winner a year ago out since May 24 with a strained left hip, and slugger Travis Hafner, resting a sore right shoulder.
“This is tough, very tough,” said Martinez, a career .301 hitter who led the team with 25 home runs and 114 RBIs last season. “I want to play, especially with everything that has happened to this team. But it hurts bad.”
Indians trainer Lonnie Soloff said team physician Dr. Mark Schickendantz will operate on Friday to remove loose objects from Martinez’s throwing elbow.
“It is estimated he will return in six to eight weeks,” Soloff said. “Victor has some buildup in there and has been experiencing soreness for a while now. We’ve helped manage it each day with a combination of icing it and administering anti-inflammatory medicine.”
Martinez has played with a sore left hamstring since opening day March 31. He said that despite that injury and his worsening elbow, he kept playing to try and help the team overcome all the injuries to other key players.
He finally had enough Wednesday night, wincing as he swung at a pitch in the first inning of Cleveland’s 8-5 loss to Minnesota. He grounded out to shortstop, returned to the dugout, and was replaced by Kelly Shoppach behind the plate to start the second inning.
“It was a sharp, sharp sting and I knew that was it,” Martinez said. “That pitch was a fastball. If I’m healthy, I’m going to really hit that one.”
Martinez has no homers this season in 198 at-bats, the longest drought of his career. He is batting .278 overall, but only .216 (25-for-116) since April 30.
Manager Eric Wedge said it was difficult to sit Martinez because of the Indians’ offensive struggles. Cleveland entered play Thursday hitting an AL-worst .242.
“Victor’s probably one of the toughest players I know,” Wedge said. “He took it as far as he could.”
Cleveland purchased the contracts of catcher Yamid Haad and infielder Jorge Velandia from Triple-A Buffalo to replace Martinez and Barfield. To clear room on its 40-man roster, Westbrook was moved to the 60-day DL and minor league right-hander Oneli Perez was designated for assignment.
Westbrook had surgery in Los Angeles by Dr. Lewis Yocum to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. Soloff said he was told the surgery went well.
Barfield is wearing a splint on his injured finger, hurt when he checked his swing on a pitch Tuesday night. He will visit hand specialist Dr. Tom Graham in Baltimore on Monday.
Soloff said Barfield’s injury – the tendon in his finger has become displaced – is uncommon among baseball players.
“We want to see if it can heal through rest and rehab or surgery is needed,” Soloff said.
Carmona threw 35 pitches, all fastballs and changeups, in a bullpen session Thursday and is scheduled to throw 50 pitches, including breaking balls, on Saturday. If all goes well, he could go on a rehab assignment in the minors next week.
Hafner, whose average had dipped to .217 before he went on the DL on May 30, is scheduled to be examined early next week to determine if he is strong enough to start a rehab assignment.
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