MADISON, Alabama — The Rocket City Trash Pandas are thrilled to announce outfielder Orlando Martinez has been named the Double-A South Player of the Week for the week ending on August 22, 2021.
The award is the first in Martinez’s professional career and marks the fifth league award of the season for Rocket City. Kyle Tyler (May 30) and Cooper Criswell (June 20) each were named Pitcher of the Week and David MacKinnon was named Player of the Month of June. Luis Aviles Jr. became the first Trash Pandas position player to win Player of the Week on July 11.
Martinez starred last week against Chattanooga, hitting .458 (11-for-24) with two home runs, four RBI, five runs scored, and two doubles, and one triple over seven games. He recorded at least two hits in five of his six starts last week, and he scored the tying run as a pinch-runner in his only other appearance in the first game of a doubleheader on August 18.
On August 20, Martinez went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI from the number two spot in the Rocket City lineup. The next night, his solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning was the final run of the night in an 11-5 Trash Pandas victory.
For the season, Martinez is hitting .257 (87-for-339) with 15 home runs and 47 RBI. He ranks among the Double-A South leaders in doubles (2nd, 22), hits (4th, 87), home runs (T-7th, 15), and RBI (T-7th, 47).
Martinez originally signed with the Los Angeles Angels as an international free agent on August 30, 2017 and has spent his entire four-year professional career with the club.
Martinez and Trash Pandas (48-46) begin a six-game series with the Biloxi Shuckers (35-61) on Tuesday night. First pitch at MGM Park is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio. The Trash Pandas are currently 2.5 games out of the last playoff spot with 25 games remaining in the regular season.