Guardians Lose Another Top Offensive Weapon to IL

Just one day after Ramirez's hand injury, Guardians outfielder Angel Martinez fouled a Tarik Skubal pitch off his left foot. Cleveland was hoping that Martinez would be available off the bench as the team opens a new series on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers, but instead, he was placed on the IL. The Guardians are officially diagnosing the injury as a non-displaced fracture.

Martinez is in the midst of a breakout campaign for Cleveland, leading the team in home runs with 11. The young switch-hitter is slashing .239/.276/.442, with 54 hits and 33 RBI in 66 games. Martinez has also added nine stolen bases on 11 attempts, which is already a career-high.

The one flaw in Martinez's profile is his plate discipline. In those 66 games, Martinez has struck out 53 times compared to just seven walks. Given that it is just his third MLB season, this discipline should improve with more experience. Aside from that, Martinez looks like he is a developing power/speed threat and a fixture near the top of the Guardians' lineup for years to come.

The latest update on Ramirez's timeline for return is 5-7 weeks, after he successfully underwent surgery on Tuesday. Martinez will likely have a similar timeline, depending on how fast his bone is able to heal. This puts both Guardians stars on the shelf until after the MLB All-Star break in mid-July.

In a corresponding move, the Guardians recalled outfielder Petey Halpin from Triple-A Columbus.