Carlos Martinez to Rehab This Weekend

PEORIA, IL - According to reports, and barring a medical setback, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martínez will rehab for the Peoria Chiefs this weekend against Bowling Green. It is not known if he will start or relieve but he is expected to join the Chiefs this weekend and pitch on Sunday in the 5:05 p.m. game.

    A 27-year-old Dominican Republic native, Martinez began the 2019 season on the injured list with a right shoulder cuff strain. Last season he was 8-6 with a 3.11 ERA for the Cardinals with 18 games and nine starts while earning five saves. In 118 2/3 innings, the right-hander struck out 117 and walked 60. Martinez went 12-11 with a career-high 217 strikeouts in 32 starts in 2017 while posting a 3.64 ERA over a career-best 205 innings that included two complete-game shutouts. He won a career-high 16 games in 2015 while striking out 174 and posting a 3.04 ERA in 31 starts. Martinez worked as a starter full-time for the first time in 2015 going 14-7 with a 3.01 ERA in 29 starts with 184 strikeouts in 179 2/3 innings.
    In his first two seasons in the majors, Martinez was used mostly as a reliever with a 2-1 mark in 2013 over 21 outings and one start. In the playoffs he pitched 12 times, including appearances in five of the Cardinals six World Series games against Boston. In 2014 he pitched 57 times with seven starts and one save while going 2-4 with a 4.03 ERA. He then pitched four more times out of the bullpen in the 2014 playoffs with just one run allowed.
      Martinez, who headlined the Peoria stop of the 2016 Cardinals Caravan, pitched in the Midwest League with Quad Cities in 2011. With the River Bandits he was 3-2 with a 2.33 ERA in eight starts as he struck out 50 in 38 2/3 innings before a promotion to Palm Beach. He never faced the Chiefs or pitched at Dozer Park. Martinez climbed up the MiLB ladder with Palm Beach and Springfield in 2012 and then Springfield and Memphis in 2013 before his MiLB debut. He had three rehab outings with Springfield last year, including one start.
     Martinez will be the first MLB rehab of the 2019 season for the Chiefs. Last year the Chiefs had pitcher Alex Reyes and infielder Kolten Wong in rehab stints. In 2017 the Chiefs had outfielder Stephen Piscotty, pitcher Tyler Lyons and Wong while in 2016 Jhonny Peralta played five games on the infield for the Chiefs. Former Cardinals LHP Jaime García threw the first five innings of a no-hitter against Clinton on July 23, 2015 in a rehab start. Jon Jay also rehabbed for the Chiefs in the outfield in 2015 while Jake Westbrook threw seven innings in a win against Quad Cities on June 9, 2013.
   Tickets for both Saturday and Sunday's games are available at the Dozer Park Box Office or online at www.peoriachiefs.com. Per the Chiefs ticket policy, the Never-A-Wasted Ticket exchange plan is suspended for all MLB Rehab appearances.
Tickets and Promotions:
      Group tickets and season ticket packages, including full-season, a 35-game ticket package, an 18-game ticket package or a Flex Plan are currently on sale by calling 309-680-4000. Individual game tickets are also on sale with the Dozer Park Box Office open Monday - Friday from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and online at www.peoriachiefs.com which also lists all of the season's promotions. Game times and promotions are subject to change.