Indians' Marte joins Bisons for rehab

The Buffalo Bisons today announced that third baseman Andy Marte has joined the team on a Major League rehabilitation assignment from the Cleveland Indians. Marte suffered a strain left hamstring on Sunday, April 22, in Tampa Bay.

He was hitting .179 (7-39) with a home run and eight RBIs in 13 games with Cleveland in 2007.

Last year, Marte played in 96 games for the Bisons and hit .261 (93-357) with 23 doubles, 15 home runs and 46 RBIs. He finished third on the team in homers, fourth in extra-base hits (38) and tied for fourth in doubles and fifth in games played. He tied a Bisons all-time record when he homered in five consecutive games between June 15-19, and was named the Topps/International League Player of the Month for June (24G, .304, 28-92, 10HR, 22RBI). An IL midseason All-Star, Marte also won the Triple-A Home Run Derby during festivities at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio.

Marte was recalled by Cleveland on July 28, 2006 and hit .226 (37-164) with five home runs and 23 RBIs in 50 games with the Tribe.

Cleveland acquired Marte in a wild offseason for the ninth best prospect by Baseball America. Originally in Atlanta's system, the Braves traded him to Boston on Dec. 8, 2005, for shortstop Edgar Renteria. Less than two months later on Jan. 27, 2006, the Indians acquired Marte along with catcher Kelly Shoppach and pitcher Guillermo Mota in a seven-player trade with the Red Sox that included former Bisons Coco Crisp, Josh Bard and David Riske.