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Dodgers notes: J.D. Martinez, Jimmy Nelson, Daniel Hudson

Los Angeles Dodgers v Arizona Diamondbacks Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — J.D. Martinez is back off the injured list after missing 15 games with lower back tightness, activated by the Dodgers before Friday’s series opener against the Padres at Dodger Stadium.

He started the first 23 games of the season at designated hitter before getting sidelined, and is back in the lineup Friday night batting cleanup.

The Dodgers are beginning a stretch of 13 games days in a row and 19 games in 20 days to close out May, and manager Dave Roberts said they would be mindful of the schedule regarding Martinez.

“I can see us managing him a little bit,” Roberts said. “What that means if it does come to that, I don’t know that. I’ll just keep checking on him every day.”


Jimmy Nelson was shut down from throwing after making just one appearance for Triple-A Oklahoma City. His rehab assignment was shut down on May 2 after feeling something, though Roberts didn’t specify what.

Nelson is on the 15-day injured list while recovering from Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair, which sidelined him for the final two months of 2021 and all of 2022. Nelson, re-signed to a one-year, $1.2-million deal in February, had trouble finding the strike zone during spring training.

He struck out one in a scoreless inning in Triple-A on April 25, walking one and allowing a single. Roberts said Nelson will start another rehab assignment at some point.


Daniel Hudson is still progressing slowly from last June’s torn ACL in his left knee. The right-hander was also slowed during spring training with right ankle tendinitis he developed while rehabbing the knee.

Hudson is throwing at the Dodgers facility at Camelback Ranch in Arizona, but is dealing with scar tissue in his left knee that’s slowed him down. Hudson was transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 18, meaning the earliest he could possibly return is May 29. But that date doesn’t seem feasible, with Roberts describing the right-hander’s timetable as “down the road.”

“He’s frustrated, but we can still bet that he’s doing everything he can to be ready,” Roberts said. “The knee’s just not cooperating.”