Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte found himself at the center of yet another controversy in August, and his team didn't hold back when asked about his antics. Marte didn't show up to the ballpark for the first game of the Diamondbacks' series against the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 17, leading to a placement on the restricted list after he flew back to Arizona for an MRI on his knee without any communication to the team. After his move to the injured list, Marte was spotted at a casino during a Diamondbacks game.
This isn't the first time Marte has taken days off without alerting the team, either. In 2025, Marte took a vacation to the Dominican Republic after the All-Star Game, leading to a public apology. Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, his team aren't even surprised by his actions anymore.
It is what it is.” Additionally, two anonymous teammates commented on his casino appearance — saying it was a "slap in the face" and "rubbing people's noses in it." “He’s an extremely talented player,” Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen. We’re in the business of winning baseball games.” Marte hasn't played to the same standards of his 2024 and 2025 All-Star seasons, but he has still been a solid bat for the Diamondbacks this season. He has a .249/.314/.446 OPS over the course of the year for a .760 OPS.
His 21 homers lead the team despite his recent injury, as do his 67 RBIs on the year. Per another anonymous teammate, Marte is well aware of his declining performances, which came to a boiling point prior to the Red Sox series where he went missing. Marte first aggravated his knee in the prior series against the Atlanta Braves, exiting the first game of the set and sitting the second.
He came back for the third game, which the Diamondbacks lost. After the third game, Marte reportedly said "You guys don’t need me. It doesn’t matter.” The Diamondbacks, despite their star's recent controversy, are still chasing a postseason spot, and sit just one game out of the final wild card position.
They'll hope Marte can come back and immediately impact the team as he has in the past, propelling them to a postseason spot.
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