Tigers’ outfielder J.D. Martinez left Saturday’s spring training game against the Marlins with a mid right foot sprain, per a report from MLB.com’s Jason Beck. Martinez caught a fly ball from Tyler Moore to end the first inning, but rolled his foot when he tried to stop in the middle of a slide to make a shoestring catch instead. He was seen limping toward the clubhouse between innings and returned to the park on crutches.
Thankfully for Martinez, the preliminary X-rays came back negative and it doesn’t look like he’s suffered any major injury. The Tigers have yet to disclose any kind of timetable for his return, Beck adds, though it could put Opening Day in jeopardy.
Martinez, 29, is approaching his fourth season with the Tigers. He batted .307/.373/.575 with 22 home runs and a .908 OPS for Detroit in 2016 and is presumed to be the starting right fielder for the club this year. He’ll seek a second opinion on his foot on Sunday.