Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Explains Why J.D. Martinez Was Out of the Lineup on Thursday

He's been slumping as of late.

Dodgers designated hitter J.D. Martinez got the night off on Thursday in the Dodgers' 5-4 walk-off win over the Chicago White Sox. He did end up getting a plate appearance in the bottom of the 10th inning, but he came in as a pinch-hitter and immediately got intentionally walked.

So, it was essentially a night off for Martinez, who's been struggling a bit at the plate as of late.

Entering Friday, Martinez is 0 for his last 12 with eight strikeouts. His last hit was his three-run home run in Saturday's win over the Phillies that gave the Dodgers a 9-0 lead and put the game out of reach.

So, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts decided to keep Martinez out of the lineup on Thursday in the series finale against the White Sox, hoping the reset could get him back on track (per J.P. Hoornstra of the Orange County Register).

"The last few games clearly have been a grind," Roberts said. "I think it’s OK to give (Martinez) a respite and get someone else in there."

Martinez is a proven veteran, so he knows best what his body needs. I'm sure there was a conversation with Roberts before the decision, one that the Dodgers manager said he made so Martinez can just sit back and watch a big league baseball game.

Martinez is back in the lineup on Friday in the cleanup spot, and will be relied upon to drive in runs in the series opener against the division rival San Francisco Giants. Hopefully he got the reset he needed on Thursday, and is back to mashing baseballs on Friday and the rest of the weekend.