The Boston Red Sox left slugger J.D. Martinez off their playoff roster for Tuesday night's American League Wild Card Game.Martinez is recovering from a sprained ankle he sustained while running out to right field between innings in Game 162 on Sunday, Clay Johnston Jersey twisting his ankle on second base.The Yankees are battling their own adversitymi sing both DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit heading into the postseasonbut this is a significant blow for Boston. Martinez, 34, ended the 2021 season batting .286/.349/ Darius Hodge Jersey .518 with 28 home runs, 99 RBI and 92 runs scored over 148 games. His 42 doubles on the year were tied for the most in all of Major League Baseball.In a winner-take-all matchup, every pitch is significant. Considering the Red Sox will be facing Gerrit Cole on Tuesday night, the absence of one of their most Daxton Hill Jersey dangerous hitters is an edge in the visiting team's direction.Plus, Martinez has had some succe s off Cole in the past. During the right-hander's clunker at Fenway in Juneallowing six runs and taking a lo sMartinez hit a solo Drew Sample Jersey home run to start the third inning, Boston's third home run off Cole in the game.Scroll to ContinueAsked about Martinez on Monday, Cole called the injured star a "big-time slugger" and a "tough at-bat.""I mean, he's got some magic and he's got a lot of talent, and so in situations like that, I think you have just got to try to stay vigilant and execute the pitches to the best of your ability," Cole told reporters.The ace will still have his work cut out for him, trying to pitch Ricardo Allen Jersey his way past the rest of Boston's high-octane lineup, but this is one le s threat for Cole to worry about on Tuesday night.