Ketel Marte was back with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night, ending a 13-game absence that had stretched across a no-show at Fenway Park, three games on MLB’s restricted list without pay and a separate 10-day stint on the injured list with left knee inflammation.
Before the game at Chase Field, Marte apologized to teammates in the clubhouse. He then returned to the lineup at DH and went 1-for-3 in a 2-1 Diamondbacks loss.
What happened next
Marte’s return immediately put the focus on where he fits in the lineup and the field going forward. He was expected to resume duties at second base as early as Wednesday’s series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies or Arizona’s road opener against the Houston Astros on Friday.
That matters because Marte’s absence has been part of a larger story around the Diamondbacks, one that has followed him across four seasons and has put his relationship with the club under a brighter spotlight than usual. On Tuesday, he told The Athletic that the message on the neon green hat he wore after his first game back meant nothing and that it was just a hat.
How the Diamondbacks handled it
Torey Lovullo made clear he wanted the focus to shift quickly. Nolan Arenado, meanwhile, kept the message simple: Marte is back, and the Diamondbacks want him helping them win games.
Marte, a native of the Dominican Republic who uses a team interpreter in interviews, is now back in the middle of the Diamondbacks’ plans. The question is less about whether he will play and more about how quickly he can settle back into second base after everything that happened over the past two weeks.
