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Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was brought to tears in the midst of the D-Backs game against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night after a fan taunted him over the death of his mother. Marte, who hit a solo home run in the first inning of Arizona’s 4-1 win, could be seen crying during a pitching change in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The 31-year-old Ketel Marte’s mother, Elpidia Valdez, died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic in 2017. At the time, Marte was just 24-years-old and was in his first season with Arizona after spending the first two years of his MLB career with the Seattle Mariners.
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo and bench coach Jeff Banister confirmed that the abuse the fan hurled at Marte was in regards to his mother and that they had him removed from the game.
“I just reacted as a dad would when I went out to change pitchers. I could see he was sobbing. It hurt,” Lovullo said after the game.
“(I told him): ‘I love you and I’m with you, and we’re all together and you’re not alone. No matter what happens, no matter what was said or what you heard, that guy is an idiot. It shouldn’t have an impact on you.’”
Ketel Marte was in tears during the #Dbacks pitching change.
The broadcast speculated it was after he learned Ildemaro Vargas broke his foot.
Torey Lovullo came out to console him.
Heartbreaking to watch.@12SportsAZ pic.twitter.com/70EgCyE5Dh
— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) June 25, 2025
After the incident, furious MLB fans suggested that kicking the fan out of the game wasn’t enough: Marte should be allowed to fight whoever the person was. It certainly wouldn’t be unheard of, as Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana threw a punch at a heckler just last week.
In a just world, this fan wouldn't get to leave the park walking under his own power https://t.co/2mG89RzENB
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 25, 2025
Ejecting/Banning these types of fans isn’t enough… they need hands and feet put on them https://t.co/oJCgJh2V8j pic.twitter.com/hOm9LWTTt8
— Dos (@JDejuan2) June 25, 2025
“Ketel Marte should be allowed to fight this fan for five uninterrupted minutes,” one fan posted.
“Ketel Marte should get to beat the absolute shit out of this ‘fan,'” another added.
“They gotta find whoever said it, lure them in with fake tickets and beat the s– out em,” a third joked.
According to reports, the 22-year-old fan has subsequently been banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks.
Level-headed White Sox fans also called for those attending the game on Wednesday, June 25 to give Marte a standing ovation to show that a majority of their fanbase is not like that one crass, disgraceful fan.