The reason Ketel Marte isn't playing for the Arizona Diamonbacks is no longer a mystery. Little else is known about the three time All-Star's strange week, which began when he was placed on the restricted list a few minutes before the Diamondbacks' game Monday, Aug. 17 in Boston. As of Thursday, Marte is officially out because of a knee injury.
The Diamondbacks will move Marte to the 10-day injured list, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported on Twitter/X, allowing the three-time All-Star to accrue salary. Players who are on their team's restricted list are not paid. Piecoro reported that the decision to place Marte on the injured list came after the three-time All-Star met with general manager Mike Hazen.
However, that meeting only happened after president Derrick Hall appeared on a Phoenix radio station Thursday morning and made it clear that Hazen's request for a meeting with Marte had yet to be honored. More news: Diamondbacks President Takes Ketel Marte Beef Public “Personally, I’m disappointed that a player didn’t show up and go where he was supposed to, but I can get past it if I can hear a reason why," Hall said on KMVP (98.7-FM). "We’re all sort of sparing judgment because we don’t know yet what the explanation is.” It's the second straight year the Diamondbacks have placed Marte on the restricted list.
In July 2025, his home was burglarized during the All-Star break, and he did not rejoin the team until a few days afterward. This time, the knee injury added a wrinkle of confusion to an already opaque situation. More news: Diamondbacks’ Latest Ketel Marte Saga Remains Unresolved Marte's agent, Charisse Espinosa-Dash told Jon Morosi of MLB Network that Marte is “currently managing a personal matter and will be undergoing an MRI on his knee (Thursday).” Until Thursday, the mysterious "personal matter" took priority.
If Marte were merely absent because of his injury, he could have accrued salary. Because that didn't happen until after Marte met with Hazen, the second baseman served what amounted to a three-day unpaid suspension. More news: Nationals End C.J.
Abrams Controversy, Announce Position Switch The circumstances led former Diamondbacks pitcher Archie Bradley to speculate that Marte is dealing with a serious off-the-field situation. He doesn’t not show up for a game unless something serious is going on, in my opinion. For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
