Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow acknowledged Wednesday that J.D. Martinez and Rick Ankiel could platoon in right field. Ankiel bats left-handed, so he would get the most at-bats if the Astros used a strict platoon, but manager Bo Porter could end up playing the hot hand. Fernando Martinez is out of options this spring and could also be in the mix, but he's not a lock to make the Opening Day roster.

J.D. Martinez homered and doubled Saturday to lead the Astros to a 6-5 win over the Braves. If the Astros stick to the plan of playing Chris Carter, that's one fewer outfield opening for Martinez to claim. He's likely to make the team, but he might be limited to starting against lefties initially, leaving him with little or no fantasy value.

J.D. Martinez said Friday that he is eager to start testing his surgically-repaired left hand by swinging a bat regularly. "I really haven't been able to swing that much yet, but I feel like it's right there and really close," said Martinez, who had surgery in September to remove the hook of the hamate bone from his left hand. "I'm trying to rest it as much as I can now because I know when Spring Training starts, it's going to be non-stop. I feel like I'll be ready and it will be strong enough for me to do what I have to do." Martinez batted just .241/.311/.375 with 11 home runs, 55 RBI and a .685 OPS last season, but if healthy, he should be in position to win a starting outfield job during spring training.

Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow revealed Thursday that J.D. Martinez recently fell and aggravated his surgically-repaired left hand. The good news is that Luhnow expects Martinez to be fine by the time spring training rolls around. The 25-year-old underwent surgery in late September to have the hook of the hamate bone removed from his left hand.

J.D. Martinez underwent surgery Wednesday to have the hook of the hamate bone removed from his left hand. Martinez is done for the season, but could play winter ball in Venezuela. The 25-year-old outfielder got off to a nice start this season, but will finish the year with a disappointing .241/.311/.375 batting line to go along with 11 home runs, 55 RBI and a .685 OPS. He will have to fight for a regular job during spring training.

J.D. Martinez will undergo season-ending hamate bone surgery on his left hand. It's not clear when the injury took place. Martinez is done for the year, but the Astros are hopeful that he'll still be able to play winter ball in Venezuela. The 25-year-old batted just .241/.311/.375 with 11 homers, 55 RBI and a .685 OPS this season and will likely have to compete for a starting job next spring.

J.D. Martinez is expected to play winter ball this offseason. The Astros would like Martinez to work on his swing after a disappointing season that's seen him hit just .238/.311/.370 while spending some time in the minor leagues. "There's a particular club in Venezuela that we'd like him to play for," general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "There's some trepidation about playing in Venezuela due to the election and so forth, so we're working through those issues."

Astros optioned OF J.D. Martinez to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Martinez went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Thursday's loss to the Nationals and is now hitting just .222 since the start of May. He'll try to get his confidence back over the next couple of weeks in the minors before returning when rosters expand in September.

J.D. Martinez returned to action on Friday August 3.

J.D. Martinez went 1-for-4 and drove home the Astros only run in Friday's loss to the Braves. The 24-year-old outfielder is quietly having a fairly productive sophomore season. While the .242 average can be difficult to handle, he has provided solid run production with 11 homers and 54 RBI on the season. If he can learn to control the plate better and cut down on his strikeouts, he should develop into a very nice hitter.