Infection will keep Leonys Martin out for rest of season

BOSTON – Cleveland Indians outfielder Leonys Martin will sit out the rest of the season because of a bacterial infection.

Manager Terry Francona revealed the news Wednesday before Cleveland’s game against the Boston Red Sox.

The 30-year-old Cuban player became ill following a game Aug. 8. Doctors determined he had the life-threatening bacterial infection that entered his bloodstream and created toxins that damaged his internal organs, compromising their function.

“The news is really good, he is doing fantastic, but he not going to play baseball this year,” Francona said, adding that the players were updated about his health during a brief meeting. “Overall, he has done so well. We’re so thrilled that he’s OK.”

Martin was released from the hospital Sunday.

The club said he was rechecked by doctors Wednesday in Cleveland.

“All testing and imaging shows that Leonys’ body continues to recover and while his prognosis remains positive for a full recovery, doctors feel that Leonys’ heart and other organs will require an additional one to two months to allow for this to happen,” they said in the update.

Also Wednesday, the club activated slugger Edwin Encarnacion from the 10-day disabled list. He had been sidelined since Aug. 12 with a right wrist contusion. Encarnacion homered in his first at-bat against left-hander Brian Johnson.

He was expected to return Thursday, but they placed outfielder Rajai Davis on the 10-day DL with a non-baseball-related, not-life-threatening medical condition. The move is retroactive to Monday.

Davis is scheduled to have outpatient surgery Monday and is expected to rejoin the club when rosters are expanded on Sept. 1.

Martin was acquired from Detroit on July 31 to added depth to the outfield and appeared in six games.