PHOENIX - Ketel Marte’s return to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ lineup on Monday night against the Philadelphia Phillies carries more weight than a standard activation from the injured list. With the wildcard race tightening, the game already has plenty on the line, but the attention will be centered on Marte as he comes back after a stretch that began with his controversial absence from the club’s series opener in Boston.
Marte did not report to Fenway Park, was placed on the restricted list and later moved to the injured list after an MRI showed knee inflammation. Since then, the Diamondbacks have tried to keep moving forward. Manager Torey Lovullo said a later meeting with Marte was productive, while president and CEO Derrick Hall said Marte still has explaining to do.
Now the question shifts to Chase Field and how the crowd will greet him. Some fans are likely to welcome back one of the team’s biggest stars.
Others may boo because of how the situation unfolded. A lot of people may simply hold off until they see what Marte does on the field before deciding.
That uncertainty is what makes Monday night different. Marte is important enough that Arizona can’t just replace him and move on.
His return gives him a chance to answer the only way players really can: by playing. And for the Diamondbacks, the best outcome is not just getting their top second baseman back.
It’s getting Marte, his teammates and the fans pointed in the same direction again as September starts to narrow around them.
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Philadelphia is next, and the timing makes the missed opportunity against the Giants loom a little larger. Arizona is still in position to keep pushing, but the margin for error is shrinking fast, and a strong showing against the Phillies would go a long way toward making sure the recent stumble does not define the final sprint. [Read more 🡒]