Red Sox Add J.D. Martinez to ALDS Roster After Ankle Injury, Drop Matt Barnes

The Red Sox lineup will be fully healthy for Game 1 of the ALDS as J.D. Martinez returns to Boston's playoff roster.

ST. PETERSBURG. Fla. – Boston slugger J.D. Martinez is on the Red Sox roster for their AL Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays after missing Tuesday night's win over the New York Yankees in the AL wild-card game because of a sprained left ankle.

The best-of-five ALDS was scheduled to start Thursday night in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Martinez stumbled over second base while heading to the outfield in Sunday's regular-season finale at Washington.

Because the National League does not use a DH in games played in its stadiums, Martinez was playing right field against the Nationals. He stepped on the bag and twisted the ankle heading out to play defense in the fifth inning.

It was only the seventh game in 2021 that Martinez started in right field. He was in the starting lineup as a DH for 113 games and as the left fielder for 28.

Martinez hit .286, with an AL-leading 42 doubles, 28 homers and 99 RBI during the regular season.

Tampa Bay has 13 pitchers on its roster that does not include speedy outfielder Brett Phillips. Lefty Ryan Yarbrough, who went 9-7 with a 5.11 ERA in 30 games, including 21 starts, was also left off.

Boston also added expected Game 2 starter Chris Sale, left-hander Martín Pérez and infielder Danny Santana to the ALDS roster.

Red Sox right-hander Matt Barnes, who lost his closer role in August, is not on the roster after being active for the wild-card game. Others dropped were catcher Connor Wong, infielder Jonathan Araúz and outfielder Jarren Duran.

Boston outrighted infielder José Iglesias to Triple-A Worcester, reinstated infielder-outfielder Yairo Muñoz from the COVID-19 related injured list and outrighted him to Worcester on Wednesday.

Nick Anderson, Tampa Bay's closer during its run to the World Series last year, failed to make the roster. He didn't make his 2021 debut until Sept. 13 because of a right elbow injury and struggled in six late-season appearances.

With Boston having several left-handed starting pitchers on its roster, Tampa Bay added right-handed hitting outfielder Jordan Luplow.

The AL East champion Rays lost the World Series in six games to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.