Davis Martin’s Regression Impossible For White Sox To Ignore After Ejection

Davis Martin has posted a 6.52 ERA across 60 innings over his last 15 starts, allowing 80 hits during that span. His struggles have made it nearly impossible for him to eat innings and help the bullpen the way he did early in the season.

Martin was ejected after hitting Sal Stewart on the bill of his helmet with a fastball, an incident that came after a previous pitch sailed over Stewart's head. Home-plate umpire Alan Porter explained the ejection was necessary to keep the game safe, especially given the sequence of pitches directed toward Stewart.

The pitch did not appear to be intentional. Martin revealed after the game that he was dealing with a blister on his middle finger that was affecting his grip and likely contributed to his loss of control.

Martin was dominant early in the season, posting a 1.64 ERA as the White Sox went 6-1 in his first seven starts, with him pitching at least six innings in five of those games. Over his last 10 starts, however, he has reached the sixth inning just twice and is averaging only 4.1 innings per start.

Martin's breaking pitches, specifically his slider and curveball, both carry a negative run value and have been his most glaring weakness. He also ranks below the MLB average in both strikeout rate and whiff rate, making it difficult for him to consistently get hitters out when they make contact.