March 11, 2023
ANALYSISMartinez played primarily in the outfield for the first seven seasons of his career before transitioning to designated hitter in 2018. Last season with the Red Sox, he played all 139 of his games as the DH, and he hasn't played the outfield in a regular-season contest since Oct. 3, 2021. However, the veteran started in left field in Saturday's Cactus League contest against the Cubs and made a nice running catch on the first play of the game. Though Roberts' comments suggest Martinez could occasionally play defense this season, it's uncertain if he'd do so often enough to gain outfield eligibility in fantasy leagues. One reason the team may want to put Martinez in the field from time to time is that doing so could help get catcher
Will Smith's bat in the lineup on days when he needs a break behind the plate.