After receiving an 80-game suspension for violating the MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Therapy Program in late June, Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orlevis Martinez made his return to the sphere Sunday afternoon with triple-A Buffalo.
Martinez’s suspension doesn’t finish till Sept. 23, however he was eligible to start a minor-league project over the ultimate 15 days of the punishment.
Batting sixth and taking part in third base for the Bisons, the 22-year-old went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a strikeout throughout Buffalo’s 9-3 win over the visiting Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Each of his knocks got here down the left area line, the primary coming off his bat at 96 m.p.h. within the third inning and the second at 80.8 m.p.h. within the sixth.
Martinez recorded his first hit on a changeup from Lehigh Valley’s starter Tyler Phillips, scoring outfielder Will Robertson. His second double got here on a slider from reliever Freddy Tarnok.
In only one recreation with the Blue Jays’ big-league membership this season, the six-foot-one righty went 1-for-3 with a single earlier than being handed his suspension.
In accordance with a mid-season replace by Baseball America, Martinez is now thought of Toronto’s high prospect and the No. 78 prospect in all of baseball — the Blue Jays’ solely consultant within the high 100.
In triple-A this season, Martinez is now hitting .264 with an .877 OPS, 16 doubles and 16 residence runs.
In accordance with a report from Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling on Friday, Martinez is not going to return to the Blue Jays major-league roster when his suspension ends this season.
