Diamondbacks Star Ketel Marte Breaks Silence on Controversial Break That Shook Team Dynamics

Arizona Diamondbacks’ ace Ketel Marte found himself in an uncomfortable spot this past Monday—apologizing to his teammates after his unexplained absence during the series against the St. Louis Cardinals post-All-Star break. This wasn’t just any missed series; it stirred the pot amid a string of other off days that Marte has taken recently, causing some friction in the clubhouse. Feeling the weight of personal turmoil, Marte jetted back to his home in the Dominican Republic, shaken by the news of a burglary that hit his Arizona residence while he was away. The timing couldn’t have been worse, and the ripple effects showed as the Diamondbacks stumbled through a brutal stretch, losing nine of ten games after his return. Now, sitting at a disappointing 60-66, the team struggles to claw back into the playoff hunt, trailing seven games behind in the National League wild-card race. Manager Torey Lovullo openly addressed the situation, praising Marte’s courage in facing the issue head-on and highlighting his dedication and heart for the game—reminding us all why he’s a crucial figure for Arizona. With a .295 batting average, 56 RBIs, and 23 homers, the 31-year-old remains a cornerstone of a squad that reached the World Series last year, their first since 2001. Yet, the focus on moving forward echoes through the clubhouse, as shortstop Geraldo Perdomo put it simply, “It’s over… we’ve got games to win.” The saga’s far from over, but the resolve is unmistakable. LEARN MORE

Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte apologized to his teammates on Monday after he missed a series against the St. Louis Cardinals after the All-Star break for personal reasons.

The incident was just the latest time that Marte has asked for an off day, which is something that has reportedly been causing issues within the Diamondbacks’ organization recently.

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Marte flew back to his home in the Dominican Republic after the All-Star break and missed three games — which he said came after he was “frustrated” and “in a bad spot” after learning that his Arizona home had been burglarized during the break.

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The Diamondbacks then lost nine of their next 10 games when Marte rejoined the lineup. They then dealt several key players at the trade deadline and now sit at just 60-66 on the season after Monday’s 3-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. That has them suddenly seven games out of the last wild-card spot in the National League.

“I know there’s an elephant in the room and I’ll just say what I want to say about it,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said, via The Associated Press. “I know that Ketel talked to you guys and I’m proud of him for doing that. That’s not easy for him to do. I know he showed some vulnerability and I’m really proud of him for digging in the way that he did.

“What I’ll say about Ketel are the things that I know — he’s a great teammate, he’s a great young man, he plays hard every single day for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He just wants to win baseball games. That’s it.”

Marte currently holds a .295 batting average with 56 RBI and 23 home runs this season. The 31-year-old has been a huge part of the Diamondbacks’ success in recent years, and he helped lead the franchise to their first World Series appearance since since 2001 in 2023.

“It’s over,” shortstop Geraldo Perdomo said of the situation, via The Athletic. “I want to put it behind us because we got baseball games we got to go out there and win. That’s our main focus.”