NL West: Martinez locked in as ARI closer after Puk injury?

Arizona Diamondbacks

The elbow injury for Diamondbacks' LHP A.J. Puk looks to have solidified the position of RHP Justin Martinez as the team's closer for the time being. Puk hit the 15-day IL after experiencing left elbow inflammation following his April 17 appearance. He underwent an MRI on April 21 and the Diamondbacks are seeking a second and potentially third opinion on the results prior to making any announcement on a prognosis. This certainly doesn’t appear promising for a short stint on the IL.

But Martinez was unavailable in the Diamondbacks' April 22 game against the Rays with what is being described as shoulder fatigue. He has not pitched since April 17. Manager Torey Lovullo said Martinez is “very, very close” to 100%,...

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