Diamondbacks place Ketel Marte on restricted list due to ‘personal matter’

The Arizona Diamondbacks placed second baseman Ketel Marte on the restricted list and recalled infielder Jose Fernandez from Triple-A Reno, the team announced mere minutes before first pitch on Monday.

The restricted list is for players under contract but who are not playing for personal, legal or non-baseball reasons.

Manager Torey Lovullo told reporters postgame that Marte was dealing with a personal matter, noting the three-time All-Star was fine physically but the communication was lacking.

“Very little (communication) this morning, this afternoon, I just was doing my best to reach out to him and there was very little coming back,” Lovullo said.

Lovullo added that he had an idea Marte was dealing with something on Monday morning, but he believed his second baseman would show up eventually.

What we know about where Ketel Marte was before being placed on the restricted list

AZCentral.com’s Nick Piecoro reported at the start of the game that Marte never arrived to Fenway Park, even though Marte posted on his Instagram story that he landed in Boston with the team on Sunday night.

Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported after the game Monday that the team believed Marte was still possibly at the team hotel but ultimately unsure of his whereabouts. He had been seen at the hotel bar with a group of people around 11 p.m. Sunday night.

When asked whether Marte was still in Boston after the game, Lovullo said he was not sure.

“We deal with a lot as baseball managers and coaches and teachers,” Lovullo said. “Sometimes you get disappointed, sometimes you get let down, but we’re going to figure out how to work through this.”

Lovullo offered his support numerous times during the Diamondbacks’ postgame show, showing emotion when discussing his care for Marte. He also explained that the clubhouse was curious about what was going on. The D-backs went on to lose 11-1 in Boston, so focus became a question after the game.

“We care for Ketel. Once we knew he was OK, I think everybody relaxed and started to focus on the game,” Lovullo said.

This is the second straight season in which Marte was placed on the restricted list. He spent a couple days with that designation last year out of the All-Star break after the burglary at his home and his unexcused absence in the Dominican Republic. Marte being away from the team for the first series of the second half was not expected at the time, as there is now a recurring issue with communication.

The Diamondbacks released their lineup right before Monday’s game against the Boston Red Sox started, with Ildemaro Vargas at second base and Fernandez at third base.

Marte exited Friday’s game with left knee soreness and did not play on Saturday. He returned on Sunday and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

Fernandez rejoined the D-backs after playing 55 games for Arizona earlier this season. The versatile infielder who hit two home runs in his MLB debut has had an up-and-down year in Triple-A Reno (.271 average, .799 OPS) since getting optioned.

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