Diamondbacks give Ketel Marte rest day Friday vs. Phillies

PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks superstar Ketel Marte was not in the starting lineup for Friday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies and ace starter Zack Wheeler.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Marte needed a rest day, noting fatigued may have played a role after Marte’s three-strikeout day on Thursday. Marte on Arizona’s recent six-game road trip hit five home runs and has vaulted into MVP conversations, and Lovullo wants to be mindful of his workload.

“Ketel is certainly a body and a mind that I pay very close attention to,” Lovullo said.

“He’s been playing at a very high level. I still kick myself for (Christian) Walker and pushing him as hard as I did. Geno (Suarez) has been a guy that hasn’t gotten a lot of days off recently. So there continues to be some targets for me, but Ketel made a lot of sense to get him off his feet.”

Lovullo was self-critical for the lack of rest he gave Walker this season after the first baseman landed on the injured list with an oblique strain last week.

The D-backs also gave left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. a day out of the lineup on Friday, rolling with the three left-handed outfielders in Jake McCarthy, Alek Thomas and Corbin Carroll from left to right.

Another wrinkle in the order is that catching prospect Adrian Del Castillo jumped into the five-hole against a right-handed pitcher.

Lovullo said he would give Jose Herrera and Del Castillo close to 50-50 looks behind the plate with Gabriel Moreno on the injured list (groin strain). Del Castillo, who was called up on Tuesday, has the higher upside bat with a 1.011 OPS in Triple-A Reno this season.

“I know it’s a big ask. He’s facing a really good pitcher, one of the best in the league,” Lovullo said. “I’m looking for guys to control the zone and I think he’s got really good barrel awareness. He knows balls and strikes. He could toggle with his approach between pulling and hitting the ball the opposite way. I think he hit with two strikes. I think that’s what’s going to help us win at-bats today.”

Wheeler has had a great track record against the D-backs with a 2.81 ERA in 12 career starts — not including the 2023 postseason in which he threw 14.2 innings and allowed only three runs.

McCarthy, coming off a three-hit game, jumped into Marte’s typical two-hole against Wheeler.

Game 117.

🕡 6:40pm
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— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 9, 2024

First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. 

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