Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, who hasn't been with the Diamondbacks since last Monday in a series of odd circumstances, will return to the team Tuesday, Sept. 1, per Francys Romero. Marte initially went on the restricted list for the Diamondbacks last Monday, when he failed to show up to the ballpark prior to the Diamondbacks' loss on the road to the Boston Red Sox. Reports surfaced the following day about an apparent knee injury, stating Marte returned to the team's complex in Arizona to undergo an MRI.
Afterwards, the Diamondbacks placed him on the 10-day injured list. Immediately after his IL placement, photos of Marte at a casino in Scottsdale during a Diamondbacks game drew public criticism towards the All-Star, though he didn't break any team policies. Despite the obscure behavior, manager Torey Lovullo avoided being critical of Marte's decisions.
"That’s how I look at it. As long as he wakes up tomorrow morning and gets his work done at Salt River, which I am certain he will, that’s all that matters to me right now. It was not, I’m sure, a choice a lot of people in this room would make.
But Ketel’s a grown man, and he can make his own decisions. And he did not break any rules. He was fully able to go there and do what he wanted to do.” The Diamondbacks have played six games without Marte so far, splitting them with three wins and three losses.
Two of those losses came in the aftermath of Marte's absence, as they dropped the first two games of their series against the Red Sox—losing by a combined 15 runs. After salvaging the series with a win in the finale, they took two of three games at home against the Cincinnati Reds. Their next two series come against the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants, and they'll have to play both matchups without Marte.
Marte, despite not having an All-Star season like the past two years, is still a key player for the Diamondbacks, and will be a huge boost to the team if he is at full strength upon his return. He has 21 homers on the year, driving in 67 runs with a .760 OPS on the year. The Diamondbacks will hope Marte can return to the team and make an instant impact as they look to return to the postseason this year.
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