’Star bid pays off for Victor Martinez

By PAUL HOYNES

CLEVELAND — Victor Martinez will be the only Indian going to the All-Star Game on July 14 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. He was selected by his fellow players in the American League and will back up Minnesota’s Joe Mauer at catcher.

This will be Martinez’s third All-Star Game but his first since 2007. He played only 73 games last year because of surgery on his right elbow.

“Victor is well-deserving,” said Indians manager Eric Wedge. “He’s had an All-Star first half. He’s done everything we asked him to do. With the injuries we had to Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore, he’s stepped up time and time again.”

Said Martinez: “It’s always great news to make the All-Star team. Unfortunately, I’ll be the only one going from the team.”

The Indians have six games left before the break, all on the road, and Martinez is in a 4-for-47 slump. He’s hitting .303 (94-for-310) overall, while leading the Indians with 19 doubles, 14 homers and 57 RBIs, but he looks weary.

Wedge thinks carrying the offensive load in the first two months of the season has worn Martinez down. After hitting .386 (34-for-88) in April and .321 (35-for-109) in May, Martinez hit .240 (24-for-100) in June. He’s hitting .077 (1-for-13) in July.

“He’s played a great deal in the first half,” said Wedge. “We’ve been able to play him a great deal because he’s mixed in well at first base. There’s no way we could have played him that much if he was just strictly catching.

“We’ve been around him for a while now, and there are indicators [that Martinez is tired].”

Martinez does not believe he’s tired from carrying the team.

“I’ve always said no one player can carry a team,” said Martinez. “Put one player out on the field and see how well he does.”

Martinez received a $50,000 bonus for making the All-Star team. His $7 million club option for 2010 increased by $100,000 as well.

Wedge said Aaron Laffey will start Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox. He’s been on the disabled list since May 23 with a strained right oblique muscle.

“I’m ready,” Laffey said.

Laffey joined the Indians in April as a starter. He went 2-0 in four starts before the Indians asked him to go to the bullpen. Laffey did a nice job in the ’pen, going 1-1 with a save. Then he strained his oblique muscle on May 22 against the Reds. He’s been trying to get back ever since.

“This was like spring training all over again for me,” said Laffey, “and I hate spring training.

“Anytime you get hurt, it’s not a good thing. This was another body part where I couldn’t throw because you didn’t want to aggravate it. That was the toughest part because my arm was fine.”