Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte placed on injured list, days after Fenway no-show

The Arizona Diamondbacks placed Ketel Marte on the 10-day injured list with left knee inflammation Thursday, a move that came three days after the second baseman failed to show up for his club’s series opener against the Boston Red Sox.

Marte, who did not play in any of Arizona’s three games in Boston, is expected to rejoin the team before the end of the season, general manager Mike Hazen told reporters, including the Arizona Republic. He had previously been placed on the restricted list after his no-show at Fenway Park.

An MRI on Thursday revealed inflammation in Marte’s left knee, Hazen said. Marte had exited Friday’s loss to the Atlanta Braves early with left knee soreness, then sat Saturday before returning fully Sunday. Marte received an injection, Hazen said, and could be back with the Diamondbacks as soon as the minimum stint has been reached.

Because he was on the restricted list, Marte’s new placement on the injured list cannot be backdated.

Beyond getting the MRI, Marte, his agent, Hazen and manager Torey Lovullo met in person, though few details were offered.

“I’m not gonna get into specifics,” Hazen told reporters. “I feel like the conversation and meeting was productive. We discussed the last week. That, obviously, I’m not going to get into. He’ll talk to his teammates at some point and we’ll go from there.”

MLB’s restricted list is a roster designation that is reserved for players who are not with the club for a personal or non-baseball reason. They remain under contract with their organization, though they are not mandated to be compensated. Placing a player on the restricted list requires approval from MLB.

The move to the 10-day IL culminates a saga that began shortly before first pitch on Monday, when the Diamondbacks finally submitted their lineup. Marte had traveled with the club to Boston, but the three-time All-Star was absent. That night, a visibly emotional Lovullo told reporters in Boston that Marte had landed on the on the restricted list because of a “personal issue.”

“We deal with a lot as baseball managers, coaches and teachers, so sometimes you get disappointed, sometimes you get let down, but we’re going to figure out how to work through this,” Lovullo said. “… I just love him and care for him.”

On Tuesday, as Marte’s absence continued to linger, Arizona had little details to offer, other than that Marte traveled back to Arizona ahead of the team in advance of his imaging.

“I’m still hoping he’s OK,” said Lovullo, who told reporters he hadn’t heard from his player. “Looking forward to having a connection with him at some point as soon as possible. Overall, I feel like if you don’t show up to work, something is on your mind (and) something’s not right, and we’ve got to get it right.”

By Wednesday, the Diamondbacks attempted to turn the page, rallying behind Brandon Pfaadt to escape Boston with a 7-6 extra-innings win and avoid the sweep. The confusion about Marte’s status, however, continued to loom large over the club.

“Listen, when it comes to Marte as a player, there’s not too many people that can replace a player like that,” Nolan Arenado said. “He’s one of the best in the game. So, it is a miss. We’re missing a top-tier player. But at the end of the day, we’re going to continue to fight.”

Thursday’s placement on the IL came hours after Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall called Marte unplanned absence “bizarre.”

“He appeared just fine and then was just a no-show, as you know,” Hall said on a local radio show. “Just bizarre, and we’ve tried to get answers.”

Hall, who was in Boston with the team, noted that he too was attempting to connect with Marte, a matter that has been at the heart of the situation.

“There is a bit of a history there,” Hall said. “We’re going to have to get explanations from him and apologies from him.”

Marte, a two-time Silver Slugger winner, ranks second all-time in franchise history in games played, just 22 games behind Luis Gonzalez, Arizona’s all-time leader in hits, home runs and RBIs. Should he complete the remainder of his contract, one that will take him through his age-36 season, at least, Marte should take over as the club’s franchise leader in all of those categories.

Since his trade from the Seattle Mariners to the Diamondbacks in 2016, few players have been as productive as Marte. Since 2017, only 24 players have accumulated more fWAR than Marte’s 32.5. His 125 wRC+ is second to Jose Altuve among second baseman over that same stretch.

Yet, for as productive as Marte has been for Arizona, his time in a Diamondbacks uniform, particularly over the past few seasons, has been marked by strife with the organization, both internal and external.

The now-32-year-old missed a critical game in the final stretch of the 2024 season, his club attempting to grab ahold of a postseason spot one season after making a run to the World Series, a run that was buoyed in large part by Marte, who was named MVP of the 2023 National League Championship Series. However, Arizona missed the postseason that year because of a tiebreaker, Marte’s absence playing a role.

A season later, Marte missed time once again following the All-Star break, when he took a trip to the Dominican Republic after his home in Phoenix was burglarized, ultimately missing three games. As was the case in this instance, Marte was placed on the restricted list. Arizona once again missed October, ending the campaign with an 80-82 record.

Following his absence, Marte addressed reporters in the clubhouse, seemingly atoning for his frequent request of off-days and an absence that left the club scrambling.

“I mean, obviously due to the circumstances of my situation, I got frustrated and was in a bad spot,” Marte told reporters in August 2025. “But I truly want to apologize for my teammates and everybody else that is supporting the team.”

Over the winter, Arizona considered the possibility of dealing Marte to another team. His team-friendly contract — seven-years and $116.5 million of which $41 million is deferred, and the payouts do not begin until 10 years after the money is earned — coupled with his surge in production — back-to-back Silver Slugger awards and All-Star nominations — making him an attractive target to clubs while also allowing the Diamondbacks to bolster its pitching depth.

However, by January, the Diamondbacks fully committed to Marte, essentially taking him off the market. Doing so carried larger ramifications for both parties, as Marte gained 10-and-5 rights, 10 years of service, five consecutive with the same club, after the 10th day of this year’s season, earning full no-trade clause protection. Previously, Marte operated under a limited no-trade clause that included five teams: the Athletics, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals.

The absence, while now temporary, could not come at a worse time for the Diamondbacks, as the club attempts to gain possession of one of three wild-card spots. At times, Arizona has wavered between the NL’s second and third wild-card spots, however, after going 5-5 over its past 10 games, the team is out of the postseason picture entirely, sitting one game back of the San Diego Padres. The two clubs have gone 5-5 against each other this season, and will meet in San Diego for the season’s final three games. As it stands, Arizona does not have a tiebreaker.

After Thursday’s off-day, Arizona will play 10 games in nine days, six of which will be at home against the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs. The remaining four against the San Francisco Giants. The earliest Marte can return is Aug. 30, provided he’s healthy and ready to finish the season.