The Angels announced that catcher Omar Martinez has cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Salt Lake. The backstop was designated for assignment last week in a series of moves that included outfielder Gustavo Campero being added to the 40-man roster. Campero had a looming opt-out clause in his deal.
Martinez appeared in five games with the Angels. Most of his time with the club came on defense, as he totaled just three plate appearances. The 24-year-old did manage his first hit, drilling a single in his debut at-bat. Martinez went 0-for-2 in his lone start.
The Angels added Martinez on a minor league deal in November. He’d spent his entire pro career in the Yankees organization. New York signed him as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2018. Martinez put together some strong offensive seasons at the lower rungs of the minors, but has struggled at the upper levels. He hit .212 in his first stop at Double-A last year. The backstop posted a 63 wRC+ in 23 games after moving to Triple-A.
Martinez has slashed .189/.308/.369 with Salt Lake this season. He’s popped six home runs in 130 plate appearances, but he’s also struck out at a 33.1% clip. Martinez will head back to the Bees after no team put in a claim during the waiver process. This is the first time he’s been outrighted, so he had to accept the minor league assignment.
Los Angeles has had a tough time finding consistent production behind the plate this season. The club ranks 23rd in OPS at the position heading into Saturday. Logan O’Hoppe has a 76 wRC+ through 46 games. He’s struggled mightily with the glove, posting -8 Defensive Runs Saved. Travis d’Arnaud had an identical 76 wRC+ through 40 plate appearances as O’Hoppe’s backup. He’s now on the 60-day IL with plantar fasciitis. Sebastian Rivero is backing up O’Hoppe now. He’s been solid as a defender (2 DRS), but he has a sub-.600 OPS.
Photo courtesy of Gerry Angus, Imagn Images
