The Arizona Diamondbacks placed Ketel Marte on the restricted list just minutes before Monday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox, creating confusion about the star second baseman’s status during a critical series.
The Diamondbacks announced the move with less than 10 minutes until first pitch. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports that Marte is “ok physically; he just didn’t show up to the ballpark.”
What makes this situation more confusing is a report from MLB insider Hector Gomez claiming Arizona actually designated Marte for assignment.
“BREAKING: The Arizona Diamondbacks designate second base star Ketel Marte for assignment (DFA). @z101digital,” Gomez reported Monday night.
If true, that would be a stunning move for a player who’s been central to Arizona’s playoff hopes.
Here’s what we know so far: Piecoro reported that Marte traveled to Boston with the team but then didn’t show up at Fenway Park for the series opener.
“The club hoped until shortly before game time that he was going to show up to the park. He had been expected to serve as the designated hitter for tonight’s game.”
The timing couldn’t be worse for Arizona. They entered Monday’s game sitting one game behind both the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres in the NL Wild Card race.
Marte’s been a key contributor this season despite some struggles. In 469 at-bats, he’s posted:
- 21 home runs
- .249 batting average
- .760 OPS with a 107 OPS+
- 1.8 bWAR
Those aren’t eye-popping numbers, but they’re hardly DFA-worthy for a player of Marte’s caliber.
The way I see it, there’s still significant uncertainty about what actually happened here. Gomez’s report remains unconfirmed by other sources, and the circumstances around Marte’s absence seem unusual.
What’s clear is that something significant occurred behind the scenes. Players don’t typically just skip games during a playoff push, especially when they’re physically healthy.
If the DFA report proves accurate, it would represent a massive shift for both the franchise and their postseason aspirations. But for now, we’re left waiting for more clarity on one of the more bizarre situations of the season.
