Angels Outright Omar Martinez, Send Catcher to Triple-A Salt Lake

The Los Angeles Angels have officially outrighted catcher Omar Martinez to Triple-A Salt Lake after he cleared waivers. The 24-year-old backstop was designated for assignment last week in a roster shuffle that also included adding outfielder Gustavo Campero to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Martinez will return to the Bees after no team claimed him during the waiver process.

Martinez appeared in five games with the Angels, collecting just three plate appearances and one hit in his major league debut. The Venezuela native signed with the Yankees as an international free agent in 2018 and spent his entire professional career in New York's system before joining Los Angeles on a minor league deal in November. Despite showing promise at the lower levels, Martinez has struggled in the upper minors, hitting .212 at Double-A last season and posting a 63 wRC+ in 23 games at Triple-A.

The Angels have struggled to find consistency behind the plate this season. Catching ranks 23rd in the majors with a team OPS. Logan O’Hoppe, the club’s primary backstop, has a 76 wRC+ through 46 games and has posted -8 Defensive Runs Saved. Backup Travis d’Arnaud has mirrored that offensive performance with a 76 wRC+ across 40 plate appearances and is currently on the 60-day injured list with plantar fasciitis. Sebastian Rivero, now filling in as O’Hoppe’s backup, has a sub-.600 OPS but has been a defensive plus with 2 Defensive Runs Saved.

Martinez has been a mixed bag in Salt Lake this season, hitting .189 with six home runs in 130 plate appearances. However, his 33.1% strikeout rate raises questions about his ability to sustain that power at the plate. The Angels will continue to evaluate their catching corps as they search for a consistent performer both offensively and defensively.

With d’Arnaud sidelined and O’Hoppe remaining the primary option, the Angels have little room for error at the position. Martinez’s return to Triple-A won’t immediately impact the major league roster but highlights the team’s ongoing struggles to find a reliable catcher. The Angels will look to stabilize the backstop position as they continue their season with a game against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.