Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte helped off field while pinch hitting vs. Rays
Aug 18, 2024, 1:19 PM | Updated: 4:02 pm
Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte bats against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Arizona Diamondbacks superstar Ketel Marte fell down in the batter’s box while checking a swing, and he had to be helped off the field Sunday at the Tampa Bay Rays.
Marte did not start after returning to the lineup on Saturday for the first time since Monday. He initially hurt his left ankle on a play at second base last weekend against the Philadelphia Phillies and only missed one game. He then exited Monday’s matchup against the Colorado Rockies.
The club said he suffered a low-grade left ankle sprain after receiving an MRI and did not put him on the 10-day injured list.
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The D-backs turned to Marte with a runner aboard and no outs while trailing 6-3 in the ninth inning on Sunday against reliever Pete Fairbanks.
Joc Pederson entered in relief of Marte and walked, setting up a game-tying home run from Adrian Del Castillo.
The Diamondbacks lost the game 8-7 in 12 innings.
Marte went 1-for-3 with a walk as the designated hitter on Saturday, and the plan was to have him back in the lineup on Monday at the Miami Marlins.
Manager Torey Lovullo told reporters postgame Sunday that Marte was still being evaluated.
“I don’t have any updates,” Lovullo said. “Just being evaluated right now. Nothing more than what we originally saw. It didn’t look great. He creates a lot of force when he pushes off the ground. A very strong man. It just got him. … We probably need to re-evaluate and find out how quickly we can get him back.”
The Diamondbacks are already operating with first baseman Christian Walker and catcher Gabriel Moreno on the injured list.
After Marte exited Monday’s game, Lovullo had told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo, “We trust the athlete. (Marte) knows his body as good as anybody. Medically, everything was signed off, and I wouldn’t have put him in harm’s way. There’s no way in the world I would have ever put him in the game, if I felt like something like yesterday was going to happen. … Of course, there’s a regret, and I wish I had given him an extra day.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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