Texas Rangers minor league outfielder J.P. Martinez has been promoted from low-A Hickory to high-A Down East, it was announced today. Martinez is the former Cuba League player who the Rangers signed with their leftover internationalmbonus pool money a little over a year ago after missing out on Shohei Ohtani.
Martinez, 23, started the 2019 season in Hickory in part because of the crowded outfield at Down East. With Bubba Thompson being promoted and Leody Taveras repeating high-A, the Rangers has two guys there who were going to be sharing center field reps, and Martinez, who played short season ball last year, got his full season debut in Hickory to help manage the center field playing time.