Ketel Marte headed for 10-day IL, will then rejoin Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte will be placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday and then rejoin the team when he is healthy, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.

Gambadoro added Marte’s MRI “showed inflammation on his upper hamstring and medial joint of his knee.” He received an injection Thursday afternoon, and the D-backs hope his IL stay will be short.

Marte, his agent Charisse Espinosa-Dash, Hazen and manager Torey Lovullo met at Salt River Fields at 1 p.m. Thursday and had a “productive” conversation, according to Gambadoro.

AZ Central’s Nick Piecoro reported Marte’s IL stint will not be retroactively dated, so the D-backs’ star will miss the next three series. He will be eligible to return on Aug. 31 against the Philadelphia Phillies, who currently hold a three-game advantage on Arizona in the NL Wild Card race.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, general manager Mike Hazen and CEO and president Derrick Hall all expressed hope that Marte would return this season, but none had enough information to say definitively.

The Marte saga has gone on for years, but this bizarre chapter began on Monday, when Marte did not show up to Fenway Park for the Diamondbacks’ game against the Boston Red Sox, nor did he tell his manager he would be absent.

Arizona placed Marte on the restricted list right before Monday’s game, alerting his teammates, the media, fans and others that something was off. The restricted list is for players who are not playing for personal, legal or other non-baseball reasons.

Outfielder Corbin Carroll and Hazen suggested that Marte was on the mind of players in the clubhouse during the Red Sox series.

After a couple of days with little communication from Marte’s side, Hazen told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Wednesday that Marte would undergo an MRI for his knee and meet with the GM on Thursday. Marte missed Saturday’s game with left knee soreness but returned to the lineup on Sunday and was scheduled to start on Monday.

Marte’s agent released a statement to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi saying Marte was looking forward to returning as soon as possible.

The three-time All-Star has caused frustration over the years by asking for a day off in the final week of the 2024 season and by not showing up to Chase Field after the All-Star break last summer. The D-backs placed Marte on the restricted list last season when he missed the first series of the second half after traveling to the Dominican Republic (reportedly before his home in Scottsdale was burglarized).

The Diamondbacks listened to trade offers last offseason before Marte’s 10-5 rights kicked in and gave him a no-trade clause in April. The right deal did not materialize, and Arizona opted to hold onto its star second baseman. Hazen and Marte met before spring training to get on the same page less than a year before they agreed on a contract extension through 2030 (with a 2031 player option).

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