Despite his leaving St. Louis Cardinals today disappointment will be on Oliver Jose Marmol….

J.D. Martinez, a seasoned slugger, is activated by the Mets for his season debut against the Cardinals on Friday.
Martinez signed a late one-year, $12 million contract, so he began the season in the minors before ramping up.

A powerful hitter is joining the New York Mets lineup. J.D. Martinez, a veteran slugger, was promoted to the active roster by the Mets on Friday. He will play in the opening game of the 2024 season against the St. Louis Cardinals. In a related move, infielder Zack Short was designated for assignment.

In his Mets debut, Martinez will bat fifth behind Pete Alonso:

Martinez was technically called up from Triple-A on Friday. On March 23, he consented to be optioned to the minors to begin the regular season so he could receive at-bats and catch up at the plate. He also signed a one-year, $12 million contract. Martinez’s service time allowed him to resist a demotion, therefore he had to provide his permission to visit the minors.

In five minor league games, including two Triple-A games earlier this week, the 36-year-old Martinez went 3 for 8 with a double, good for a.316 average, and had two doubles. Martinez missed the entire week of April 7–20 due to a back problem so severe that he needed a cortisone shot. He appears healthy now that he’s returned nonetheless, in the field

Martinez hit 33 home runs and had a batting line of.271/.321/.572 with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the previous season. In fact, he was the cleanup batter when the All-Star Game began. Martinez is no longer the intimidating all-around hitter of his past, but he is still a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat and a dependable provider of power.

As the utility infielder for New York, Short, 28, was 1 for 9. The option existed for the Mets to send D.J. Stewart to Triple-A and keep Short. Similar to Martinez, Stewart is a restricted DH type, but after beginning the season with a 0 for 10 slump, he is 8 for 32 (.250) with three home runs. The Mets hope to retain their left-handed power hitter.

New York has a 13-11 record going into Friday’s game. They are 13–6 after having a 0–5 start to the season.