Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Aug 10, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte against the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are currently in a fight with the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies for the final Wild Card spot in the National League, and it appears they may be forced to fight with one hand tied behind their backs.
The Diamondbacks, including star second baseman Ketel Marte, traveled to Boston on Sunday night ahead of a three-game stint with the Red Sox.
However, when it came time to play the first game of the series on Monday night, Marte was nowhere to be found, and seemingly nobody in the organization could explain why.
The team was late submitting its lineup for the game, and later announced that it had placed Marte on the restricted list for an undisclosed reason.
Following the game, which Arizona lost 11-1, manager Torey Lovullo was hesitant to divulge any information about why his star second baseman didn’t play, though he was emotional when discussing the matter.
Torey Lovullo was emotional discussing Ketel Marte’s absence
“I just love him and I care for him.” pic.twitter.com/SwxFlBesVX https://t.co/y7jKMEYFAm
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 18, 2026
“No, not really,” Lovullo said when asked if he was worried. I love him, and I care for him. He’ll be okay. He is fine. I want you guys to know that I just care about him. So does everybody in that room.”
Ketel Marte Reportedly With Team At Hotel In Boston
Whatever the issue is with Marte, which we still haven’t cleared up, it apparently isn’t serious enough to keep him away from the team entirely.
Phoenix radio show host John Gambadoro reported on Monday night that Marte was seen at the team hotel bar with a group of people around 11 p.m. on Sunday.
From what I can gather Ketel Marte was seen at the team hotel bar with a group of people around 11 pm last night. So definitely was seen at the hotel late last night. I have covered sports in this market for 30 years- not sure I have seen anything quite as bizarre as this. Even…
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) August 18, 2026
Gambadoro’s reporting emphasizes the fine line between critiquing highly paid athletes and remembering that they’re just normal human beings.
Perhaps Marte just had a rough night and opted to skip the game. Perhaps he’s dealing with a serious health or family matter. Either could be true.
But the longer we go without answers, the more fans and reporters are going to fill in the gaps with speculation.