How Diamondbacks Will Handle Ketel Marte Differently in 2027

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was frequently in headlines for the wrong reasons in 2026.

His season numbers sat well below the MVP-level output he has generally provided in recent years, hitting .249/.316/.432 for a .748 OPS and 22 homers.

But the real problem was an unexcused absence that occurred in Boston.

It was the second time in as many seasons Marte has no-showed to a game and spent time on the Restricted List as a result.

Plenty of drama unfolded in the weeks following that incident. It is now in the past. But the Diamondbacks simply cannot afford to allow Marte to return to those same behaviors in the coming years — if he remains with the club, of course.

Torey Lovullo no longer 'protecting' Ketel Marte

Sep 23, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) heads home to score a run. — Sep 23, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) heads home to score a run in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Manager Torey Lovullo, who was just retained by the Diamondbacks on a two-year deal, has often come to his players' defense through the years. Some have found fault with the way Lovullo has handled the situation, though he and Marte are known to have a close relationship.

But Lovullo, in a recent interview with Arizona Sports 98.7's Burns & Gambo Show, said that protection likely will not continue going forward.

"What I would tell him is... the decisions you make are going to be on you now. And I'm going to eliminate protecting you the way I have," Lovullo said. "I will allow you to go out there and answer the questions on your own behalf, and instead of me protecting you, I think I would change my tune in that way.

"I've taken the mindset that whenever anything goes wrong, it's my fault. And I'm going to protect these players like they're my own boys. And at a certain point, I can't do that anymore," Lovullo said.

The manager did make sure to add that he "love[s] Ketel Marte," acknowledging both his high level of talent and what he has meant to Arizona in his lengthy tenure.

"He has been one of the carry tool players of this organization for nine and a half of the 10 years that I've been here. And has it been easy? No, there have been challenges. But I have to embrace those challenges. With everything that's good, I've got to welcome everything that is not so good."

"I manage human beings that happen to be baseball players. I got to put them in the right place to be successful. And I got to figure out that part of the equation with Ketel. When he's good, he's great. And when he's not, I've got to figure out how to make him function inside of this without taking leaves of absence the way he has. And that's unacceptable."

The Diamondbacks need Marte at his best, both physically and behaviorally.

Add us as a preferred source on Google