Report: Dodgers, J.D. Martinez agree to 1-year contract

Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
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The Los Angeles Dodgers and designated hitter J.D. Martinez agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move is pending a physical.

The 35-year-old Martinez, who also can play the corner outfield spots, hit .274 with 16 homers and 62 RBIs last season with Boston.

The move reunites Martinez with Mookie Betts, who was traded from Boston to Los Angeles in February 2020.

Martinez was selected by Houston in the 20th round of the 2009 amateur draft. The five-time All-Star made his big league debut with the Astros in 2011.

Martinez is a .288 hitter with 282 homers and 899 RBIs in 1,409 career games with four teams.

He had his best year with Boston in 2018, batting .330 with 43 homers and 130 RBIs. He also hit .300 with three homers and 14 RBIs in the postseason that year as the Red Sox won the World Series, beating the Dodgers for the title.

Los Angeles went 111-51 this year and won the NL West for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons. But the Dodgers were upset by the Padres in the NL Division Series.

ESPN was the first to report Martinez’s contract.

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

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.