Cardinals skipping Carlos Martinez’s next start due to back issue

By Aug 31, 2015, 7:04 PM EDT
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Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Cardinals will skip right-hander Carlos Martinez on Tuesday against the Nationals and call up left-hander Marco Gonzales to start instead.

According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Martinez is dealing with a back issue which isn’t believed to be serious. The 23-year-old has already thrown a career-high 154 2/3 innings this season while posting a 2.91 ERA, but the results have been mixed over the past month. The Cardinals have their eyes on the postseason, so it makes sense to rest him now. Surely the Nationals won’t complain.

Gonzales, the Cardinals’ first-round pick from 2013, has thrown just 75 1/3 innings in the minors this season due to pectoral and shoulder injuries. The numbers on the whole haven’t been pretty for the southpaw, but he has a 2.66 ERA over his last four starts in Triple-A and will try to keep that going against major league hitters. The 23-year-old had a 4.15 ERA in five starts and five relief appearances in his first taste of the majors last year.

Alvarez’s bases-clearing double sends Astros past White Sox

Associated PressApr 1, 2023, 12:25 AM EDT
Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
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HOUSTON – Yordan Alvarez hit a go-ahead three-run double in the seventh inning, and the Houston Astros rallied past the Chicago White Sox 6-3 on Friday night for their first win of the season.

Kyle Tucker hit a two-run homer in the sixth and made a spectacular catch at the wall in the seventh to rob Andrew Benintendi of extra bases and keep the World Series champion Astros within one run.

Eloy Jimenez hit two RBI doubles for the White Sox, both off Astros starter Cristian Javier.

Jimenez’s first double scored Tim Anderson in the first inning. In the sixth, Javier gave up three straight doubles to Benintendi, Jimenez and Joan Moncada to make it 3-0 and end his night.

White Sox reliever Kendall Graveman (0-1) loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh on two walks and a single. Jake Diekman came on and gave up Alvarez’s double to deep left-center, a drive that just eluded Luis Robert Jr. and bounced off the wall, clearing the bases.

Four Astros relievers each worked one scoreless inning. Seth Martinez (1-0) got the win and Rafael Montero handled the ninth for his first save.

Chicago starter Lance Lynn allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

ALL IN A DAY’S REST

White Sox INF Andrew Vaughn, who hit a go-ahead two-run double in Thursday’s season-opening win, did not play. Vaughn experienced lower back issues during spring training. Gavin Sheets started at first base.

HOMETOWN HIT

Astros outfielder Corey Yulks, a Houston-area native, singled in his first at-bat and finished 1-for-4 in his major league debut.

PUT A RING ON IT

Astros owner Jim Crane and his wife, Whitney, presented the team and staff with their 2022 World Series rings in a pregame ceremony.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: LHP Blake Taylor, who is on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow strain, began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land.

UP NEXT

The four-game season-opening series continues Saturday when Houston’s Jose Urquidy faces Chicago’s Lucas Giolito.