Breaking: Diamondbacks pitcher Justin Martinez out for the rest of 2025 MLB season

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Justin Martinez has been ruled out for the rest of the 2025 season with a sprained right ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing elbow. Manager Torey Lovullo announced on MLB Network Radio that the injury is serious and that Martinez is likely to be out for a full 12 to 13 months.

Justin Martinez's injury timeline and impact on the Diamondbacks' bullpen

The UCL sprain was originally discovered after he felt tightness in his elbow while pitching the ninth inning on June 9; he immediately called for the training staff and received an MRI the following day. Not every UCL sprain needs Tommy John surgery, but the 12- to 13-month timetable for recovery is an obvious red flag. The club will assess the state of the ligament and decide the best course of action from there, though, as Martinez will be getting a second medical opinion.

The void leaves an already maimed Arizona bullpen with another hole to patch up. Closer Kendall Graveman was placed on the 15-day IL with a hip impingement, and fellow reliever A.J. Puk had started the season on the 60-day IL with a flexor strain. As injury-plagued starters, Corbin Burnes and Jordan Montgomery both ended up needing Tommy John surgeries. In their place, Arizona has brought up Kevin Ginkel and Bryce Jarvis from Triple-A Reno and added right-hander Tayler Scott to the 40-man roster.

Optioned RHP Jeff Brigham to Reno; transferred RHP Cristian Mena to 60-day IL

What Justin Martinez's long-term absence means for Arizona’s 2025 outlook

Although this was a disappointing roadblock, it could be a blessing in disguise. Martinez's deal comes with a club option for 2032, worth only $3 million, which is usually automatically picked up if a player would need surgery or would remain on the injured list for a certain amount of time. That would give the Diamondbacks some breathing room financially if he has to go under the knife.Also Read: Justin Martinez secures five year 18 million contract with DiamondbacksMartinez had an impressive season last year from a performance standpoint, providing 72⅔ innings of 2.48 ERA ball, with nearly a 30 percent strikeout rate and a 58.9 percent groundball rate. His extension was a show of faith from the team that his long-term upside would pay off. The absence of Martinez will stretch the bullpen depth for Arizona, but the club hopes he leads a full recovery and returns to being one of the most important late-inning weapons for 2026.