BOSTON - The Arizona Diamondbacks are still waiting for answers on Ketel Marte, and Torey Lovullo isn’t pretending otherwise.
On Tuesday afternoon, the manager said he still had not spoken with Marte and had no new details about why the All-Star second baseman was absent Monday night at Fenway Park. Lovullo said he was told Marte had gone back to Arizona for testing, and he believed the MRI in Phoenix instead of with the team may have been Marte’s decision.
That silence has turned Marte’s situation into the biggest talking point around the club. Lovullo was open about being caught off guard by the lack of communication, especially given how close he and Marte are.
When asked if he thinks Marte could still play again for the Diamondbacks this season, Lovullo left the door open.
“I hope so. We need him,” Lovullo said, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. “He’s one of the best players in the National League as far as I’m concerned.”
For now, Arizona has to keep moving. The Diamondbacks are trying to bounce back in the series against the Boston Red Sox after getting blown out 11-1 in the opener, but Marte’s absence is impossible to ignore. The club continues to operate without a clear timeline, and there’s still no certainty about when - or if - the star infielder will be available again.
Lovullo said his focus is on the players in front of him and the game at hand, but the uncertainty around Marte is going to hang over everything until the Diamondbacks get some real clarity.
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Mike Hazen Finally Addresses Ketel Martes Sudden Absence
Ketel Marte was absent from the Diamondbacks series opener against the Red Sox, leaving Arizona to manage without one of its most important everyday players while the team tries to keep the focus on the field. General manager Mike Hazen said he has been in touch with Marte by text and is planning to meet with him in person, a sign the club is treating the matter as a personal one while working through the basketball-like reality of plugging a key hole in the lineup.
For now, Hazens message is about stability: handle the roster in front of you, avoid letting one absence become a distraction, and trust the people around the team to keep things moving. Martes situation remains unresolved from the outside, and the Diamondbacks will have to balance the human side of the story with the practical challenge of staying on track until they know more. [Read more 🡒]
Corbin Carroll Admits Ketel Marte Situation Is Weighing On Diamondbacks
Ketel Martes absence has been hanging over the Diamondbacks since the club got to Boston, where he was not around the teams activities before heading back to Phoenix for further evaluation. For a lineup that leans heavily on Martes presence, the uncertainty alone has been enough to make it a talking point in the room.
Corbin Carroll said the situation has been on the minds of some players, a reflection of how quickly a concern around a knee can ripple through a clubhouse. For now, Arizona is waiting on clarity, and with the details still not public, the team is left managing both the game plan and the unease that comes with not knowing what comes next. [Read more 🡒]