Injury To Red Sox Reliever Kept Him From Pitching Vs. Angels [Video]

It made all the sense for Chris Martin to pitch in the eighth inning with the Boston Red Sox holding a narrow late-game lead Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels and trying to get to closer Kenley Jansen.

Alex Cora put Marin in that situation countless times last season and he delivered. But this time, the Red Sox manager stayed away from the veteran set-up man.

Cora had a good reason to not put Martin on the mound as Cora revealed the 37-year-old reliever is nursing a bothersome left shoulder injury.

“The last few days he’s been dealing with it,” Cora told reporters following Boston’s 5-4 win at Fenway Park. “We’ll see how he wakes up tomorrow, how he feels. We have to make sure this is right for the mechanics to be right. You don’t want him to hurt his right shoulder because he can not get to the point where he wants to …