Martinez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

EDGE Analysis

Martinez went 3-for-8 with a double, an RBI and five strikeouts in his first two games with the Mets but will take a seat for Sunday's series finale versus St. Louis. DJ Stewart will step in as the designated hitter and bat cleanup.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Cardinals.

EDGE Analysis

He also struck out twice, but Martinez made a quick impact in his debut for the Mets, chasing Miles Mikolas from the game in the sixth inning with a run-scoring double. Martinez posted big numbers in only 113 games for the Dodgers last year, slashing .271/.321/.572 with 33 homers and 103 RBI, and once he's shaken off his rust the 36-year-old should be a potent addition to the middle of the New York batting order.

Martinez will start at designated hitter and bat fifth in Friday's game against the Cardinals.

EDGE Analysis

It will be Martinez's Mets and season debut after he was sent to the minors for a while following a late-March signing. The 36-year-old will be given extra days off in the early going as he gets his feet under him, but Martinez will eventually be the team's everyday DH. He slashed .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs for the Dodgers last season.

The Mets recalled Martinez from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

Martinez had his Mets debut delayed a bit by a minor back issue, but he's ready to go now following five tune-up games in the minors. The 36-year-old went 6-for-19 with two doubles and a 2:2 K:BB in those contests. Manager Carlos Mendoza has said Martinez will not play every day right away, as the club plans to ease him into things as he faces major-league pitching for the first time since last October. Eventually, he will be the team's everyday designated hitter.

Martinez (back) won't play every day to begin his tenure with the Mets, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

"We're not going to DH him every day," manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday. "He's going to need some days [off]. I'll sit down with him to put together a game plan because he's important. He's too valuable for this team, and we've got to take care of him." Martinez is expected to make his debut for the Mets on Friday and hit fifth behind Pete Alonso, but the 36-year-old's workload for the first week or two could be a bit less than what patient fantasy investors were hoping for.

Martinez (back) is on track to be added to the Mets' 26-man active roster ahead of Friday's game versus the Cardinals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Martinez is slated to play what is expected to be a final game with Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday. As long as he comes out of it with no issues, he should serve as the Mets' designated hitter Friday. Martinez went to the minors to knock off some rust after signing with the Mets late in spring training and had to take a break from game action briefly due to a minor back problem, but he's healthy now and is nearing his 2024 debut with the big club. According to a Mike Puma of the New York Post, manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday that he plans to slot Martinez directly behind cleanup batter Pete Alonso as the Mets' No. 5 hitter once he's activated.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday that Martinez (back) could join the big club as soon as Friday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran slugger is scheduled to play with Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday and Wednesday, which could be the final hurdle before being cleared for his Mets debut. Martinez played in two minor-league games in early April before the back issue surfaced, but he's just about MLB ready after receiving an injection and ramping his baseball work back up over the past couple weeks.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday that it's "very unlikely" Martinez (back) will join the team on their upcoming road trip, which begins Friday in Los Angeles and runs through April 24 in San Francisco, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Based on Mendoza's comments, Martinez won't be ready to make his Mets debut until April 26, at the earliest. Martinez injured his back earlier this month while playing for Single-A St. Lucie, with whom he reported to for the start of the season after he wasn't available for spring training due to his late signing. He had been slated to begin swinging a bat Monday and is expected to resume playing in minor-league games later this week.

Martinez (back) is expected to begin swinging a bat again Monday, and he should resume his minor-league assignment later this week, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran DH hasn't played for Low-A St. Lucie since last Saturday due to back tightness, and he received an injection Tuesday to speed his recovery. Assuming he gets back into the St. Lucie lineup this week, Martinez could be in line to make his Mets debut before the end of the month.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday that Martinez is dealing with tightness in his lower back and received an injection for the injury, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Mendoza added that Martinez will be sidelined for up to five days, and he'll continue to ramp up his progress in the minors before joining the team. Martinez played two games at Single-A St. Lucie this past weekend and went 1-for-8 with two walks. He hasn't participated in baseball activities since then due to the back issues.