The Ketel Marte Situation Is Getting Weird. Here’s What We Know.

Ketel Marte was a no-show at Fenway Park for Monday’s game against the Red Sox. We’ve learned a bit about his absence since Monday night, but plenty remains unclear.

Prior to Monday’s game, multiple reports indicated that Marte made the trip to Boston with the rest of the team. But when it came time to report to the stadium, the standout second baseman was nowhere to be found. The Diamondbacks placed him on the restricted list before first pitch, removing him from the lineup, which was released just 10 minutes before the game.

After the game, which Arizona lost 11–1, manager Torey Lovullo spoke to reporters and offered some details about the nature of Marte’s absence, though he didn’t have much information at the time.

“It’s been a crazy day. All I know is that he’s dealing with a personal issue, but we’re trying to figure that out. He didn’t show up today and was put on the restricted list. That’s as much as I know right now. I’m sure in time we’ll start to uncover some information. I knew that there was something going on today... but I still believed he was gonna be here. He just didn’t show up,” Lovullo said.

Asked if there had been any contact with Marte throughout Monday, Lovullo said, “Very little. This morning, this afternoon. I was doing my best to reach out to him. There was very little coming back.”

On Tuesday, multiple reports claimed that Marte was scheduled to undergo an MRI on his left knee, but the examination would take place in Phoenix rather than in Boston. The 32-year-old had been removed from Arizona’s game on Friday with left knee soreness, and he didn’t play Saturday. He was able to suit up on Sunday for the series finale against the Braves, one day before his bizarre absence in Boston.

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte — Marte signed a six-year, $116.5 million extension with Arizona before the 2025 season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Wednesday, Marte’s agent Charisse Espinosa-Dash issued a statement to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, saying, “He is currently managing a personal matter and will be undergoing an MRI on his knee tomorrow. Ketel appreciates the unwavering support from fans, teammates, the Diamondbacks organization, and Torey Lovullo during this time. He remains optimistic about his recovery and looks forward to returning to the field to contribute to the team as soon as possible.”

Contact between the organization and Marte has seemingly been sparse. Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall spoke with Arizona Sports Radio hosts Dan Bickley and Vince Marotta on Thursday and admitted he’s still unsure about what’s going on with Marte.

“It’s still a complete mystery. It’s just bizarre. I was on the road with the team, I can tell you on Sunday night at the hotel in Boston, he appeared just fine. And then [Marte] was just a no-show, as you know. Just bizarre, and we’ve tried to get answers,” Hall said.

We’re now on the fourth day since Marte’s absence, yet there’s stunningly little information about what actually went down. And it seems high-ranking members of the organization are just as lost as fans of the team as to what’s going on with the three-time All-Star.

This isn’t the first time Marte has been absent from the team. The Diamondbacks handed their star second baseman a six-year, $116.5 million contract extension before the 2025 season, expecting him to lead the franchise from the front. That decision was put into question by the middle of the campaign.

Following the All-Star break last season, he missed three games while traveling home to the Dominican Republic. His teammates were not happy with his no-shows and didn’t hide their displeasure with his behavior in the month leading up to them. Marte later explained that he was “frustrated” and “in a bad spot” after his Scottsdale residence was burglarized during the break.

Marte finished the season slashing .283/.376/.517 with 28 home runs, 72 RBIs, and a 145 wRC+, and 4.4 WAR in 126 games. He was named first-team All-MLB for the second year in a row and won his second Silver Slugger.

Despite coming off one of the best seasons of his career and being on a team-friendly contract relative to his production, the Diamondbacks put Marte on the trade block during the offseason. They made it known they’d need a big return to make a deal happen, but it's rare that All-Stars with affordable long-term contracts are made available.

The Red Sox, Rays and Mariners were among the teams interested in his services, but a deal never materialized, and Arizona pulled him off the trade block before the season began. It wouldn’t be shocking if he was back on it as soon as the 2026 campaign comes to a close.

The Diamondbacks are sitting just out of the wild-card picture, and one of their cornerstone players has taken himself out of the lineup. That’s an untenable situation for a team looking to return to the postseason for the first time since 2023.

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