Arizona Diamondbacks MLB star Ketel Marte was spotted playing roulette at an Arizona casino Friday night, adding another unusual chapter to a week that already included his unexplained absence from a crucial road series and a trip to the injured list.
Marte was seen at Talking Stick Resort and Casino in Scottsdale, not far from the Diamondbacks’ spring training facility at Salt River Fields. At roughly the same time, Arizona was trying to stay alive in the National League playoff race, sitting two games behind the final wild-card position.
Under normal circumstances, seeing an injured player at a casino might not generate much attention. These were not normal circumstances.
Marte had recently failed to show up during Arizona’s road series against the Boston Red Sox, prompting manager Torey Lovullo to place him on the restricted list. Days later, the Diamondbacks moved Marte to the 10-day injured list after an MRI revealed a knee injury.
Lovullo Has No Problem With Marte’s Casino Visit
Following Arizona’s 9-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, Lovullo was asked about the video showing Marte gambling. The manager made it clear the casino visit itself wasn’t his concern.
“He’s free to do whatever he wants. That’s how I look at it,” Lovullo told reporters. “As long as he wakes up tomorrow morning and posts and gets his work done at Salt River, which I am certain he will, that’s all that matters to me right now.”
Players on the injured list are not generally required to attend games, and they often complete rehabilitation work earlier in the day. But while Lovullo dismissed concerns about Marte’s Friday-night activities, he has been much less forgiving about what happened in Boston.
“Once I saw what was unfolding, I became extremely frustrated,” Lovullo said.”I felt betrayed. And that’s a whole different type of pain and frustration. But I’m through that.”
Marte, Lovullo, general manager Mike Hazen, and Marte’s agent met Thursday to sort through what happened. Marte was placed on the injured list shortly afterward.
Lovullo did not provide a detailed account of the meeting but said Marte remained frustrated about his knee. He also acknowledged that the situation should have been handled differently.
“There’s right ways to handle things and wrong ways to handle things,” Lovullo said. “I think the conclusion that was drawn up yesterday was that we could have been better. Ketel could have been better, specifically. Admittedly so.”
Lovullo Says He Felt ‘Betrayed’ by What Happened
For Lovullo, the episode has also become an unwanted distraction as Arizona tries to concentrate on winning baseball games. “I want to manage baseball games. I want to do what I love doing between the white lines and not have to answer these types of questions,” he said. “I don’t love the drama that follows this ballclub. I want to be a good baseball team, and we’ve got to figure this out.”
Despite saying he felt betrayed by Marte’s actions, Lovullo stressed that his personal relationship with the veteran second baseman had not been destroyed. He said he still loves Marte and that their relationship “is not going to change.”
That history matters. Marte is the longest-tenured player on the Diamondbacks and has generally been well regarded inside the clubhouse. But even some teammates who support him have admitted they do not fully understand what happened.
Diamondbacks Teammates Want Marte’s Side of the Story
Relief pitcher Kevin Ginkel described the situation as “disappointing” and said there was “really no explanation for it” based on what players currently know.
Ginkel also made clear that Marte’s teammates would like to hear his account directly. “I think it’d be nice to hear it, for sure,” Ginkel said. “I think a lot of players are kind of frustrated about how it happened. But first and foremost, it’s him getting his knee right and mentally being in a good place to where he can come back and help contribute.”
That leaves Arizona dealing with two separate issues surrounding one of its most recognizable players. Marte’s casino appearance does not violate the expectations Lovullo publicly laid out for an injured player, as long as he reports for his rehabilitation work. His disappearance during the Boston trip, however, remains a source of frustration inside the organization.
For a Diamondbacks team fighting for a postseason spot, the immediate baseball question is straightforward. When Marte’s knee and circumstances allow him to return, Arizona needs him available and ready to play. Before that happens, some of the people sharing the clubhouse with him are still waiting to hear exactly what happened.
