WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—The swagger is back. Cardinals righthander Carlos Martinez looked every bit the top-shelf starter he used to be Thursday night as he blanked the World Series champion Washington Nationals on three hits for five innings.
Troubled for the past couple of seasons by shoulder issues which turned him into a reliever--a good one at that--Martinez has conditioned himself and his body in the off-season so that he could start again. And, so far, at least, has the equipment and panache he displayed in his All-Star years of 2015 and 2017.
"It's really fun," said Martinez of starting again after he had 24 saves last season.