Nick Martinez, if you remember, started the season on an absolute tear over the course of his first four or five stats when he had an ERA under 1.00.
Ever since, he's basically gotten worse — slowly at times, dramatically at others.
Now, after a demotion when the Rangers got back Derek Holland, Martinez is being called back up just a couple of weeks after the demotion to join the Rangers bullpen as Spencer Patton was sent down to the minors after an awful run, as of late.
Martinez has a 7-7 record with a 4.09 ERA on the season — respectable numbers for a No. 5 starter, possibly even a No. 4 starter. But the Rangers' rotation depth has made him expendable and allowed them to push Martinez back to the bullpen to become a solid long man.
In his career, Martinez has a 4.51 ERA as a starter and in 11 innings of relief work spread over five appearances in 2014, Martinez allowed just one run with nine strikeouts. The Rangers' hope is that Martinez can solidify the long man role that has been occupied for much of the year by Anthony Bass.
