Martinez goes 1 for 3 in return from back tightness
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Boston slugger J.D. Martinez was back in the lineup, two days after being scratched because of back tightness.
Martinez went 1 for 3 and played five innings in right field as the Red Sox lost 14-1 to the New York Yankees on Friday. He singled to shallow right and hit a pair of grounders.
Martinez is hitting just .105 (2 for 19) with no homers in seven games. He failed to homer in 49 plate appearances during spring training last year, then went deep 43 times during the regular season.
The home run total was the most by Red Sox player in his first season with the club.