Ketel Marte at casino for hours Friday night while Diamondbacks hosted Reds
Arizona beat Cincinnati, 9-0, without Marte in attendance Friday.
Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates in the dugout after scoring the go-ahead run in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte was at a casino for four hours Friday night while the D-backs hosted the Cincinnati Reds in the first game of a homestand, Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported.
“He’s free to do whatever he wants. That’s how I look at it,” manager Torey Lovullo told reporters postgame. “As long as he wakes up tomorrow morning … and gets his work done at Salt River (Fields), which I am certain he will, that’s all that matters to me right now.”
Lovullo reiterated Marte was at Salt River Fields earlier on Friday, rehabbing after he went from the restricted list to the 10-day injured list with left knee inflammation. Before the game, the manager was hopeful Marte’s IL stint will be close to the minimum so he can return for the final month of action.
Marte was a no-show at Fenway Park on Monday as Arizona began a series at the Boston Red Sox, and there was no clarity as to why. The team’s lineup card did not come out until shortly before first pitch, indicating the team thought he would make it.
His agent later said the second baseman was dealing with a knee injury and was headed to Phoenix for an MRI while dealing with a personal issue, which is why he initially landed on the restricted list that is reserved for non-baseball issues.
Marte met with Diamondbacks leadership Thursday, and Lovullo said the meeting covered a lot of ground, with both parties getting what they needed to off of their chest after the star did not show up.
Players in the clubhouse expressed a need for an explanation as to why the star slugger was absent with the team in the thick of a playoff race.
Arizona beat Cincinnati, 9-0, without Marte in attendance Friday.
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Comments
39 Comments
I think the continued "how does this look" situation is pretty telling. The guy is NOT a teammate and is not going to do the right thing on his own. We'll hear later that he cleared the air in the clubhouse, and there will be a "from the heart" press release... Blah, blah, blah.
I DON'T CARE ANYMORE.
There are a few good playoff races going on right now and the DB organization just spoils it for their fans, as this stuff goes on and on, and just stinks.
Why can't Phoenix have one professional team sport that doesn't drive you to cheer for another team?!
Ketel Marte, Torey Lovullo, Mike Hazen, Ken Kendrick - YOU STINK!
K-Mart is setting a terrible example for his young fans. Those kids who idolize him will soon realize their hero is a me-first, not team-first player who caters to his own needs above all else. For so many reasons, this dude needs to go - and soon.
I spent my childhood in SoCal, and was a dodger fan. But in 1998 that all changed with the birth of the Dbacks. I have been on the bus ever since.
But with a heavy heart, I must confess that I am going to root for the Dbacks to lose for the rest of the season, just to get ride of management. ToLo and Hazen, and Hall too. ToLo can go back to his love of being a school nurse, in Venezuela.
Contrast Ketel vs Ildemaro... Vargas is always smiling and pulling for everybody on the team. It doesn't matter if he's starting, riding the bench or injured, he is there for his teammates. KeMa thinks his teammates are the losers at the casinos and strip clubs. He will go down in history as a man who squandered his talents.
He reminds me of Anthony Rendon. AnRe was awesome for a few seasons, until he received the big bucks from the Angels, then he shrugged his shoulders and said "why should I work anymore, I am rich!"