Up to date Aug. 31, 2026, 10:35 p.m. ET
PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, displaying no emotion Monday, apologized for going AWOL for the fourth consecutive season, spoke to the media and apologized to his teammates, had no message to D-backs followers, didn’t discover something fallacious with hanging out at a on line casino whereas his teammates performed a recreation half-hour away, after which bought able to play in opposition to the Philadelphia Phillies.
He acted as if he did nothing greater than commit a baserunning blunder.
“I’m going to face in entrance of my teammates like a person,” he mentioned. “I’m going to apologize. We’re all human. All of us commit errors.”
When requested instantly if he had a message for Diamondbacks followers earlier than the sport, he shook his head no.
No hurt. No foul. Again within the beginning lineup, the place he batted cleanup because the DH.
However, oh, the followers let him have it Monday evening, loudly booing him when he walked to the plate, and even louder when he grounded out. It was the primary time long-time D-backs observers can keep in mind one in all their gamers being booed coming to the plate.
This was the fourth consecutive season, courting again to Sept. 24, 2023 at Yankee Stadium, Marte didn’t present up for a recreation with out an excused absence, this time two weeks in the past on Aug. 17 at Fenway Park.
For the second consecutive season, he was positioned on the restricted listing for going AWOL.
And as soon as once more, Diamondbacks supervisor Torey Lovullo was left publicly supporting his wayward star, regardless of the anger and frustration that Marte has brought about contained in the clubhouse and inside the group.
“I advised him it’s going to impress the crew,” mentioned Lovullo, who sat at the back of the room throughout Marte’s 10-minute press convention. “It’s going to carry everyone nearer. That’s my intestine really feel.”
It’s absurd to consider that your star participant can disappear for 2 weeks with a three-day unpaid stint on the restricted listing and a 10-day paid stint on the injured listing (infected knee) and consider that Marte’s return will likely be celebrated as if Randy Johnson, Luis Gonzalez and Mark Grace simply walked via the door prefer it was 2001 once more.
Time for a bit of actuality, please.
But, Lovullo pushed again on the notion that the group, and notably himself, ought to crack down on Marte.
Lovullo tells you they need to deal with him this fashion in the event that they don’t wish to lose him, saying his psyche is likely to be too fragile to simply accept ridicule, and apparently, self-discipline.
“I do know you guys need me to generally bury him and make him really feel even worse than he already does,” Lovullo mentioned. “He would not reply to that. However I really feel prefer it’s my job to try this generally. Once I do it, he retreats. When one thing would not go nicely, he retreats. …
“He’s an emotional child, a really emotional child, and I feel you guys are slowly understanding, proper? So, for everyone that has youngsters on this [press conference] room, you perceive that your youngsters have emotions which might be totally different. And you may’t ram your fist down their throat or yell it into them. what I imply? Such as you wish to generally, however you simply cannot.
“So, there is a totally different option to deal with each persona on this clubhouse. I do know what he responds to, and there are occasions that I do [criticize], and it would not finish nicely. Generally, he doesn’t reply to that. So, I simply need everyone to be affected person with him, look after him, and assist him as a result of he feels the power from individuals.”
The Diamondbacks, who’re battling for a wild-card berth, additionally understand they haven’t any alternative. They tried to commerce him final winter, however by no means acquired a proposal by the Boston Purple Sox or anybody else that they got here near accepting. Now, he has 10-and-5 rights, which means they’ll’t commerce him and the remaining $94 million over the subsequent 5 years on his contract with out permission.
It might be totally different, after all, if Marte wasn’t one of the vital gifted second basemen within the recreation as a three-time All-Star who twice completed among the many prime 5 in MVP voting and was the 2023 NLCS MVP.
“In my view when he is proper,” Lovullo mentioned, “he is the most effective gamers within the Nationwide League.”
So, the D-backs put up along with his antics and regardless that Marte vowed he wouldn’t go AWOL once more, Lovullo was requested if he had a assure.
“I don’t, I don’t,” Lovullo mentioned. “The opposite occasions this occurred, I requested for it to by no means occur once more. …It’s one thing that could be a work of progress. We’ve all had dangerous moments and dangerous days, issues that we remorse. …
“However this one feels a bit of totally different. It feels totally different as a result of he has come ahead on this house with you guys, among the conversations I’ve had instantly with him, and the reasons, and the vulnerabilities. The conversations I’ve had with him over the previous 24 hours have been extraordinarily tough.”
Whereas Marte apologized to Lovullo, saying that he “failed him for not displaying up,” Lovullo wasn’t going to apologize for treating Marte in a different way than his different gamers.
“Ketel could be very complicated,” Lovullo mentioned. ” he is an engaged, caring human being, filled with nice intentions. He is full of affection … I like not simply Ketel. I’ve had these conversations with gamers on a regular basis, and it is a part of what makes me who I’m. I do not again away from them. I embrace these challenges and people conversations, good or dangerous.”
Now, Lovullo is left making an attempt to guarantee that Marte’s return doesn’t tear away on the material of the clubhouse. He desires to consider that Marte will likely be forgiven, and the D-backs gamers know that if they’re going to seize a wild-card berth, they’re going to have an entire lot simpler time doing it with Marte within the lineup and never at a on line casino.
They’re not all going to simply accept Marte, however then once more, there’s no crew in baseball through which everybody loves each other. There are disagreements. There are fights. However as soon as the sport begins, they’ve to drag collectively in the event that they wish to lengthen their season into October.
“I would like everyone enjoying a distinct instrument, however one track,” Lovullo mentioned. “Everyone’s totally different, and I would like it to be a extremely well-played track. That is my job.”
And it’s Marte’s job to point out up and play.
Monday was a begin.
Observe Bob Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
