Forgotten Yankees prospect is suddenly getting his shot with the Angels

The Los Angeles Angels have yet to officially put catcher Travis d'Arnaud on the injured list, but all signs point to that becoming a reality. According to Angels' insider and Orange County Register reporter Jeff Fletcher, former New York Yankees catching prospect Omar Martinez is being called up to the major leagues, which likely means an IL stint for d'Arnaud after leaving Wednesday's game with a foot injury.

Martinez was signed by New York out of Venezuela as a teenage prospect nearly a decade ago. He came stateside at age 16 back in 2018 and spent eight seasons in the Yankees organization. He made it all the way up to the Triple-A level in 2025, but poor production at the plate resulted in his release.

The Angels swooped in and signed him to a minor-league contract during the offseason, and he was a non-roster invite to spring training out in Tempe earlier this year. The 24-year-old appeared in 10 Cactus League games with the Halos, but hit just .125/.222/.313. Martinez was outrighted to Triple-A to begin his 2026 campaign and has appeared in 20 games for the Salt Lake Bees so far this season.

When Martinez finally steps onto the field, it will represent his Major League debut. Despite his eight seasons in the Yankees organization, he never received a big-league call-up. He'll presumably join Sebastian Rivero hanging the signs for the Angels' pitching staff until d'Arnaud or Logan O'Hoppe return from the injured list.

Omar Martinez set for MLB debut while Angels catching woes continue

Angels fans should obviously have tempered expectations for the young rookie. Though Martinez has had a modicum of success during his seasons in the minor leagues, he seemed to struggle with the jump to Triple-A.

Nevertheless, he has a good eye at the dish and a penchant for drawing walks. Catcher is one of the few positions on the diamond where one's defensive efforts will allow managers to overlook a player's offensive shortcomings.

The Halos, however, have an issue behind the plate — even when they are healthy. The tandem of d'Arnaud and O'Hoppe has been one of the worst catching combinations in the major leagues over the last two seasons, but LA doesn't necessarily have an alternative.

Perhaps they'll stumble onto a diamond in the rough with the elevation of Martinez to the active roster — but Angels fans shouldn't count on it.

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