Justin Martinez Injury: Could return for weekend series

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said after Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Dodgers that Martinez (shoulder) has a good chance to return from the 15-day injured list for this weekend's series in St. Louis, Jody Jackson of Bally Sports Arizona reports.

Martinez has been on the shelf since May 1 due to right shoulder inflammation, an injury that resulted in a significant drop in velocity in his last couple of relief appearances before he was deactivated. The right-hander seems to have bounced back nicely from the extended rest, as he tossed scoreless innings in both of his minor-league rehab appearances and reached 101.1 miles per hour with his sinker during his most recent outing with Triple-A Reno on Tuesday. Per John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Arizona Sports, Martinez flew back to Phoenix on Wednesday, and assuming the Arizona training staff was satisfied with his health, he'll accompany the Diamondbacks on their road trip and will likely be activated Friday. Martinez should eventually settle back in as the Diamondbacks' preferred option at closer, though it's possible that manager Torey Lovullo chooses to ease him back in with a low-leverage appearance or two.