J.D. Martinez soon will return to a ballpark where he has very, very fond memories.
Martinez on Tuesday was added to the American League All-Star roster, replacing injured Houston Astros slugger Yordan Álvarez. Boston's designated hitter will make the trip out to Los Angeles with teammates Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts, who are set to take the Dodger Stadium field for the first time since the Red Sox won the 2018 World Series.
Speaking with the media after receiving the exciting news, Martinez summed up his feelings about earning his fifth career trip to the Midsummer Classic.
"It's cool," Martinez told reporters, per The Boston Globe. "It's always an honor. You know it's such a special event when you're there. It's really fun. The family loves it. Everybody loves it. It's just a cool experience. All the way around."
Martinez added: "I take pride in what I do and coming here and representing Boston. I've been here for five years, and I've tried to represent them the best I can. This was my favorite team growing up and I always wanted to represent them. Being able to do it out of the four out of five years, I'm proud of that."
The veteran power hitter did not play Tuesday night when the Red Sox fell 3-2 to the Rays in Tampa Bay, but it sounds like he could be back in the lineup Wednesday when the division rivals meet again at Tropicana Field.
