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Martin officially announced his retirement from baseball Saturday.
The 39-year-old hasn't appeared in a game since 2019, though he was keeping his options open and mulling a potential return as recently as last year. The Canadian catcher has now officially called it quits after a long and successful career. Martin played for four teams (the Dodgers, Yankees, Pirates and Blue Jays) over 14 seasons, hitting .248/.349/.397 with 191 homers while earning a reputation as an excellent pitch framer during the first years in which the skill became widely discussed and statistically analyzed. Per fWAR, which takes framing into account, he finished 55 wins above replacement for his career -- a mark that suggests he deserves Hall of Fame consideration.
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Russell Martin: Holding off on signing
Rotowire
Martin doesn't plan to sign with an MLB team ahead of the 2021 season, but he intends to hold off on a retirement announcement to keep the possibility of playing at a later date open, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.
Martin's last professional action came in the 2019 postseason with the Dodgers, as he sat out the entire 2020 campaign. Though he'll turn 38 in February and hasn't posted a wRC+ above 100 since 2017, the veteran backstop apparently isn't ready to hang up his spikes just yet. In fact, Morosi suggests that Martin could play for the Canadian national team this spring while it looks to qualify for a spot in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo later this year.
Dodgers' Russell Martin: Drawing first start of NLDS
Rotowire
Martin will start Game 3 of the NLDS on Sunday against the Nationals, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Martin will catch Hyun-Jin Ryu in Game 3 with the series tied 1-1. Ryu has posted a sparkling 1.52 ERA when Martin is behind the dish, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register, but that comes with a tradeoff offensively -- according to J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News, the veteran backstop is just 3-for-22 with a double, an RBI and four strikeouts against Max Scherzer, who will toe the rubber for the Nats.
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Dodgers' Russell Martin: Cranks clutch home run
Rotowire
Martin went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run and a walk in a victory over the Rockies on Tuesday.
Martin turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead with a three-run blast to left field in the seventh inning. The veteran catcher hit only .167 in August but has collected three hits -- including two homers -- in six at-bats to begin September. Austin Barnes is set to rejoin the Dodgers on Friday, but Martin should remain the primary backup to Will Smith down the stretch.
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Dodgers' Russell Martin: Cranks fifth long ball
Rotowire
Martin went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over Arizona on Sunday.
Martin launched a 406-foot shot to right field in the third inning. The long ball was his first since Aug. 4 and snapped a string of 11 straight games without an extra-base hit. The 36-year-old is hitting slashing .215/.336/.317 in a backup role this season.
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Dodgers' Russell Martin: Back from bereavement list
Rotowire
Martin was activated from the bereavement list Tuesday, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Martin was away from the club due to the passing of his grandmother, but he'll be available to play Tuesday, as anticipated. Austin Barnes was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.
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Dodgers' Russell Martin: Back Tuesday, starting Wednesday
Rotowire
Martin will be reinstated from the bereavement list Tuesday and is expected to start Wednesday against the Padres, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.
As expected, Martin is set to rejoin the club Tuesday and will re-enter the starting lineup Wednesday. He's slashing .207/.330/.299 with four homers and 15 RBI over 69 games this season.
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