Late Guardians roster cut gets well-earned praise from MLB after amazing comeback

When the Cleveland Guardians broke spring training and finalized their roster for Opening Day, they had to make some tough decisions in regard to who did and who did not make the team out of Arizona. One of those decisions involved 23-year-old Angel Martinez.

Martinez was initially left off of Cleveland's Opening Day roster and was set to begin the season with Triple-A Columbus. That all changed once Lane Thomas sustained an injury to his right wrist after being hit by a pitch in Cleveland's 10th game of the year. Needing someone to take Thomas' place in center, the Guardians brought Martinez onto the major league roster, giving him an opportunity to prove he belongs.

Martinez's efforts while Thomas was sidelined did not go unnoticed. His performance at the plate was enough to mentioned in 1 newcomer on each team making an early impression appearing on MLB.com. Guardians beat writer Tim Stebbins had the following to say about Cleveland's entry on this list, "Martínez provided Cleveland’s lineup with an immediate spark, hitting .381 (8-for-21) over his first six games with one double, one triple and six RBIs while also playing strong defense in center.".

This is some pretty strong praise being heaped upon Martinez here, and for good reason. There has been a tangible difference in how this team has looked with Martinez in the lineup. Granted, there are more than a few Guardians hitters who have stumbled out of the gate (Thomas included), having someone produce immediately once being inserted into the lineup is a nice change of pace. It inspires hope in what this offense could be, in the short term and the long term.

With Martinez being a productive bat in the lineup at the moment and having the ability to play multiple positions, expect him to continue to be a regular presence for the Guardians. Having lineup versatility is something that Guardians manager Stephen Vogt likes to take advantage of, and the flexibility that using Martinez can provide would allow for more creative and aggressive use of his bench during games if needed.

In time, Martinez should be able to at least compete for a full-time role at one position, but until the Guardians get some answers about what they have at a couple of spots defensively, being used in both the outfield and infield will help Cleveland maximize not just his value, but the value of the rest of the roster.