The Texas Rangers activated right-hander Chris Martin from the 15-day injured list on Thursday after he missed the last 14 games due to right shoulder fatigue.
In a corresponding move, the Rangers optioned rookie right-hander Kumar Rocker to Triple-A Round Rock.
Martin, who turned 39 on Monday, last pitched on May 18 when he exited after throwing one pitch in the eighth inning of the host Rangers’ 4-3 loss to the Houston Astros.
He is 0-4 this season with one save, a 1.83 ERA, three walks and 23 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings over 22 relief appearances.
Martin is a career 16-22 with 15 saves, a 3.29 ERA, 48 walks and 380 strikeouts in 366 1/3 innings over 391 regular-season relief appearances for seven different major league teams since 2014. He’s also gone 0-1 with one save, a 1.88 ERA, two walks and 10 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings over 16 postseason appearances.
His career 7.92 strikeouts-to-walks ratio is the highest mark in Major League Baseball history among pitchers with at least 300 innings pitched, according to the Rangers.
Rocker, 25, had been activated on Wednesday from the 15-day IL after missing 37 games with a right shoulder impingement. He started Wednesday night’s game and allowed five runs, six hits, two walks and one hit batter with five strikeouts in a 5-4 loss to the host Tampa Bay Rays.
He is 1-4 this season with an 8.87 ERA, seven walks and 21 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings over six games (all starts).
–Field Level Media
