New Report Reveals Telling Details About Ketel Marte’s Complicated Absence From Diamondbacks

The Ketel Marte saga has dragged on for multiple weeks now, dating back to his no-show at Fenway Park on Aug. 17, but a new report from The Athletic reveals that the Diamondbacks star may be going through more than the public originally thought.

Marte, who was reportedly dealing with left knee soreness leading up to his no-show, was placed on the 10-day injured list by Arizona and will be eligible to come off the IL on Monday. Yet, the strange nature surrounding Marte’s absence has raised more questions than answers regarding his supposed injury-related situation. Complicating matters is the fact that Marte was seen at a casino near the Diamondbacks’ complex at Salt River Fields last Friday night while his teammates were on the diamond battling for a postseason berth.

As more details from Marte’s mysterious saga with the D-backs continue to trickle out, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported one telling piece of information that may not justify Marte’s recent actions, but does provide a small glimpse into his personal life.

Marte is currently facing the loss of a close family member, per Rosenthal. The death comes a little over a year after Marte lost his maternal grandmother in the spring of 2025. Marte also lost his mother, Elpidia Valdez, in a car accident in July 2017.

When Marte opted to stay in his hotel room in Boston prior to the Diamondbacks’ series opener against the Red Sox, the team knew exactly where he was, according to Rosenthal. However, “no one, including [Marte’s] agent, had any idea whether he would come to the park.”

“When he’s frustrated, he retreats,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said, via The Athletic. “This was a classic case of that.”

Marte has also since expressed remorse for his actions and recognized that “he was wrong for failing to appear,” per Rosenthal’s reporting.

Latest wrinkle sheds a solemn light on why Marte has been absent

Ketel Marte, Torey Lovullo, Arizona Diamondbacks — Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte is reportedly dealing with the loss of another close family member. | Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images

It’s easy to argue that the Diamondbacks are perhaps more willing to put up with Marte’s drama and forgive his transgressions given how important the standout second baseman is to the team. Many fans were quick to criticize Marte over his stunning no-show, and even Marte’s own teammates don’t seem too pleased with how he’s been acting of late: “Typical Ketel. Just leaving. It is what it is,” one anonymous Arizona player told The Athletic.

But Marte’s reported journey through grief is by no means an easy one, and he absolutely deserves to take his time, set the boundaries he needs and make himself available for his team when he’s mentally ready. Marte, who signed a six-year, $116.5 million contract extension in April 2025, hasn’t always lived up to the model, “face of the franchise” kind of player that the Diamondbacks surely want, but no one can deny that his current situation is unique. And complicated.

There is no single, cut-and-dried solution to dealing with grief and the loss of a loved one, no timeframe by which someone should have “recovered.” Especially in a fast-paced professional league like Major League Baseball, where there are 162 games in a season and only a rare handful of scheduled off-days across a brutal six-month stretch, players often aren’t given enough time to work through emotionally draining off-field troubles. One could argue that’s what MLB’s bereavement list is for, and yet seven days (which is the maximum amount of leave) admittedly may not feel very long when you’re in mourning.

The fact that news of Marte’s personal, private loss came out over a week since his no-show may further frustrate plenty of Diamondbacks fans. To that end: Why should Marte show his vulnerable side to the public when it hasn’t done him any favors? Just last season, Marte broke down in tears during a game against the White Sox after someone in the stands vilely taunted him about his mother. Even the most public-facing and popular athletes arguably don’t owe their fans anything.

As Marte’s tense and strange saga with the Diamondbacks hopefully draws to an end, there’s no good excuse for one of Arizona’s star players ghosted the team during a pivotal stretch of the season. Given the new reported details of Marte’s complicated absence, though, he deserves to be treated with more compassion and afforded some leeway.

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