The Arizona Diamondbacks’ bullpen took a major hit this week as flame-throwing reliever Justin Martinez was placed on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. The move follows a string of uncharacteristically shaky outings and a noticeable drop in velocity—sparking concern across the organization.
Martinez’s latest appearance raised more than just eyebrows. Entering the ninth inning with a 4-1 lead against the New York Mets on Wednesday, he struggled mightily. He threw just 14 pitches—only five for strikes—failing to display the dominant control or power fans have come to expect. Most notably, his signature sinker, which averaged over 100 mph last season, barely touched 96.6 mph. He didn’t throw a single four-seam fastball and served up a home run to Tyrone Taylor on a 95.6 mph pitch that lacked its usual firepower. After walking two more batters, Martinez was pulled in favor of Ryan Thompson, who secured the win.
The drop in velocity wasn’t a one-time fluke. Martinez’s recent outings have shown a consistent downward trend. After two strong appearances in Miami in mid-April, he didn’t pitch again until April 23. The team initially labeled it as fatigue—later clarifying it as shoulder fatigue. On Saturday against Atlanta, his sinker registered at 97.9 mph, and by Sunday, his pitches dipped even further. Wednesday’s performance confirmed something was clearly wrong.
“Obviously, there’s something wrong, right?” said Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall in a Thursday interview with Arizona Sports. “We’ve now seen that sample three times… it’s probably time to dig even deeper.”
Alongside Martinez, the D-backs also moved fellow reliever A.J. Puk to the 60-day IL with elbow inflammation. To fill the roster gap, they called up left-hander Jose Castillo from Triple-A Reno.
Martinez was expected to be a key figure in the back end of Arizona’s bullpen this season. Coming off a strong start—seven shutout innings and 10 strikeouts—he looked poised to fulfill those expectations. The D-backs even locked him into a five-year, $18 million extension with club options, a clear vote of confidence in his future.
Now, that future feels uncertain. The D-backs are left hoping that deeper testing can uncover the root of Martinez’s issues and get him back to full strength—before their bullpen takes on more stress.