Starling, Ketel Marte use Ken Kendrick’s plane to get back to USA
Jul 4, 2020, 12:09 PM
Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte adjusts his face covering during team practice at Chase Field Friday, July 3, 2020, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star Ketel Marte and newly signed outfielder Starling Marte got back to the United States in time to start practicing with the team with help from managing general partner Ken Kendrick.
The two used Kendrick’s plane to get to Arizona from their home country of the Dominican Republic.
“The timing of the charters coming over from the D.R. and other foreign countries was complicated,” general manager Mike Hazen said in a Zoom call with media Friday.
“There were some extenuating circumstances with those guys … families weren’t allowed on charter and we wanted to make sure, for reasons, that they were able to come over here with their families.”
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Both players were given PCR and antibody tests for the coronavirus before flying and after arriving in the United States.
Neither had quarantine restrictions.
The Diamondbacks Twitter account posted a video of the families getting off the airplane.
The Marte Part-ay is back. 🙌@StarlingMart and @ketel_marte4 arrive in Arizona with their families from the Dominican Republic in Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick's plane. pic.twitter.com/18LQ8pwZNg
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 1, 2020
“Ken offered that up right away to go do that,” Hazen said. “I think it speaks not even a small part to the type of person he is.”
Both of the Martes, who are unrelated, participated in D-backs “summer camp” practice on Friday.
The MLB reported Friday that in the first round of testing, 31 players and seven staff members around the league tested positive for the coronavirus, a 1.2% positive rate out of 3,185 total tests. Three players were on the D-backs roster.
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