The Arizona Diamondbacks have placed star second baseman Ketel Marte on the restricted list after he failed to report for Monday night’s MLB road game against the Boston Red Sox, with manager Torey Lovullo pointing to a troubling lack of communication from the veteran.
The move temporarily removes Marte from Arizona’s active roster, and he will not receive pay while he remains on the restricted list. The designation is generally used for players who remain under contract but are unavailable for personal, legal, or other non-baseball reasons.
For Marte, it marks the second time in his career that Arizona has placed him on the restricted list.
Diamondbacks Struggled to Reach MLB Star
Lovullo offered few details about what led to Marte’s absence. Speaking to reporters after Monday’s game, the manager said Marte was dealing with a “personal matter” and indicated no physical issue was preventing him from playing.
The bigger concern appeared to be the team’s inability to get a response from him.
“Very little communication this morning; this afternoon, I was just doing my best to reach out to him, and there was very little coming back,” Lovullo said.
Questions surrounding Marte’s whereabouts grew throughout the day. According to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, Marte had reportedly been seen at a hotel bar with a group of people at approximately 11 p.m. Sunday.
It was reported that Marte never arrived at Fenway Park before Monday’s game. Marte, however, had posted on his Instagram story indicating that he landed in Boston with the Diamondbacks on Sunday evening.
General manager Mike Hazen told Piecoro that the organization believed Marte was still in Boston as of Monday night. However, Hazen reportedly did not know when the second baseman would return to the club.
Arizona Makes a Last-Minute Roster Move
Arizona made the roster move official just 15 minutes before first pitch. The Diamondbacks also announced that Jose Fernandez would be recalled from Triple-A Reno to take Marte’s spot on the roster.
The circumstances are different from Marte’s previous stint on the restricted list. Arizona placed him there last year after his home in Arizona was burglarized and approximately $400,000 worth of property was stolen.
That episode clearly explained Marte’s absence. This time, the details remain far less certain, particularly after Lovullo publicly acknowledged how little communication the team had received from the second baseman.
Marte’s Future Was Already Drawing Attention
This latest absence comes during a season in which Marte’s future with the Diamondbacks had already generated attention. His name surfaced in trade rumors earlier in the year, although Arizona ultimately did not move him before the trade deadline.
Marte is currently in the second season of a six-year contract worth $105 million.
On the field, he has hit 21 home runs and driven in 67 runs this season while batting .249. His OPS stands at .760.
For now, however, the numbers and earlier trade speculation have been pushed aside by a more immediate question. Marte was believed to be in Boston, the Diamondbacks expected him at Fenway Park, and he never arrived. With Lovullo saying communication from his star second baseman was minimal, Arizona has responded by taking Marte off the active roster and withholding his pay until the situation is resolved.
