Blue Jays' Russell Martin: Hopes to return Thursday

Martin (neck/shoulder) has passed all of his strengthening tests, and remains hopeful he'll return to the lineup Thursday in Atlanta, the day he's eligible to be activated from the 10-day DL, Laura Armstrong of The Toronto Star reports.

Analysis:

Martin might want to come back Thursday, but it remains unclear whether his hopes will come to fruition. The catcher has yet to do much more than throwing in the outfield and taking swings off a tee, so returning in two days seems like a bit of a stretch. However, Martin says he's pain free, and a veteran like himself will be trusted to play as soon as he says he's ready.