Ketel Marte Scratched from Diamondbacks' Lineup

The Arizona Diamondbacks' All-Star second baseman was scratched from the lineup Friday.

Sep 9, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Ketel Marte (4) looks on before batting against the San Francisco Giants in the third inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

On Friday, Arizona Diamondbacks' second baseman Ketel Marte was scratched from the starting lineup. Ildemaro Vargas will start at second base.

Marte exited Wednesday's win over the San Francisco Giants with what was initially called a right foot contusion. Marte sharply fouled a ball off his foot in the first inning, then left with trainer Max Esposito prior to the bottom half of the seventh.

Related Content: Diamondbacks All-Star Ketel Marte Leaves Game With Injury

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte Scratched Friday

With the off day Thursday, manager Torey Lovullo was confident he'd be able to get Marte back in the lineup for Friday's matchup with the Minnesota Twins. That was clearly the original plan, but Marte will rest at least one more game.

Marte is in the midst of another excellent season, though he's dealt with his fair share of adversity. He's suffered injuries, fan heckling and scrutiny within the organization over his tendency to take games off.

On his weekly appearance with Arizona Sports 98.7's Burns & Gambo Friday, Lovullo addressed Marte's removal from the lineup, saying the decision was made after Marte arrived to the ballpark.

"He tried to make a go of it, got to the ballpark here, and we just decided that the best thing would be to give him the day," Lovullo said.

The manager was noncommittal about whether or not Marte could be available off the bench Friday, and said the team would continue to evaluate the situation.

"As we continue to give him some treatment and push it downfield, we're going to try to figure out piece by piece if he's available tonight and what his situation will be tomorrow. We need him. We know that, but we've got to get him healthy first. That's the most important thing."

At the time of the injury, Lovullo said X-rays came back negative, but those initial scans can occasionally be inconclusive, especially considering how many small bones are present in the foot. Inflammation can mask small fractures.

Lovullo maintained that the injury is still being considered a contusion, however.

Arizona's manager said he expects Marte to play on Saturday, but that is not a guarantee at this time. It will likely depend on how Marte feels.

Considering Arizona is only 3.0 games behind the continuously-sliding New York Mets, losing one of the best players in the National League is a significant blow.

While Vargas has been hitting the ball well of late and playing solid defense, the D-backs need all hands on deck if they want to push for an extremely improbable playoff push in the final stretch.