Martin (back) will bat Friday and could return to the field by Sunday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Martin has been bothered by back soreness, although he's expected to get behind the dish by Sunday if all goes according to plan. It's also positive to hear that he'll get a few at-bats in Friday evening's spring game against the Royals. The 36-year-old backstop should still have plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day, barring any setbacks.

Martin (back) is expected to return to game action over the weekend, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Martin was originally scheduled to return Wednesday against the Indians, but he's recovering slower than expected from a bout of back soreness. Assuming he returns over the weekend, the veteran backstop should still have plenty of time to get up to speed before the start of the season.

Martin (back) will return to game action in Wednesday's spring game against the Indians, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Manager Dave Roberts previously said there was a chance Martin could serve as a designated hitter Monday, but the team will instead wait until after the off day to re-insert him into the lineup. The veteran catcher has been battling back soreness and hasn't appeared in a game since Tuesday.

Martin (back) could return as a designated hitter Monday against the Giants, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Martin hasn't played in a game since Tuesday due to back soreness, though the issue isn't considered a serious one, and he said he would have played through the pain in the regular season. He'll still have over three weeks to get up to speed if he returns Monday.

Martin is dealing with back soreness, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Martin apparently overworked himself in the batting cage earlier in the week, which explains why he hasn't taken the field since Tuesday's game against the Royals. The veteran backstop downplayed the severity of the issue, noting that he would probably play through it during the regular season. "If it was [during] the season, I probably wouldn't miss time," said Martin. He's expected to sit out several more days before getting back into the swing of things.

Martin has been traded from the Blue Jays to the Dodgers, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Blue Jays will be covering a large portion of the remaining $20 million on Martin's salary, and even so, the Dodgers probably aren't sending anything significant back in the deal. Martin was worth just 0.6 fWAR in 352 plate appearances last year -- the worst fWAR season of his 13-year career. Entering his age-36 season, he is clearly slowing down at the plate (.194/.338/.325 last year), but is still a capable defender. Barring another trade, Martin and Austin Barnes should evenly split the catching duties in 2019.

General manager Ross Atkins said Martin could play some third base in 2019, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports. "If he's playing (some) third base, that would be ok," Atkins said.

EDGE Analysis

Martin is projected to open the season as Toronto's backup behind the dish, but his ability to play third base could afford him a few extra starts in 2019. That said, Martin hasn't played more than 91 games in either of the past two seasons, and he likely won't surpass that number entering his age-36 season for the rebuilding Blue Jays. He hit .194/.338/.325 with 10 homers in 90 games last season.

Martin (paternity) returned to the active roster Friday, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590 The Fan reports.

EDGE Analysis

Martin returns to the Blue Jays after spending the three-day maximum on the disabled list. The veteran catcher and utility-man is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Yankees, and is likely to continue receiving sporadic playing time as the team provides at-bats to their younger players.

Martin was placed on the paternity list Tuesday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

EDGE Analysis

Martin is unlikely to lose much playing time as a result of the move, as he's played just twice in September. The Blue Jays are preferring to give at-bats to younger players, a trend which will continue even after Martin's return.

Manager John Gibbons said Martin will not play "all that much down the stretch" as the club integrates younger players into the lineup during the final month of the 2018 season, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

EDGE Analysis

This shouldn't come as a major surprise considering Martin has only played in two games dating back to Aug. 31. Danny Jansen will continue to receive a majority of the starts behind the plate while Reese McGuire will likely see an expanded role. In addition, the plethora of young infielders will take precedent instead of Martin getting the occasional start at third base. Looking ahead, Martin remains under contract for the 2019 campaign, but is staring at a backup role behind Jansen barring any changes.