The Arizona Diamondbacks placed star second baseman Ketel Marte on the restricted list ahead of Monday's loss to the Boston Red Sox due to an unspecified personal issue, manager Torey Lovullo revealed postgame.
Marte didn't show up to Fenway Park for the game, leading Arizona to place him on the list. He traveled with the team to Boston but didn't make it to the ballpark. Infielder Jose Fernandez took Marte's place on the active roster just minutes before first pitch.
Marte was originally reported to be fine physically, but he apparently went back to Phoenix for an MRI on his knee, a source told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.
Lovullo told reporters Tuesday that he believes Marte requested to have the test done in Arizona instead of Boston, but the skipper wasn't certain of that, according to team reporter Jody Jackson. Lovullo added that he hadn't spoken to Marte on Tuesday and is "a little" surprised by the star's lack of communication.
On Monday, Lovullo said that he first learned of Marte's potential absence earlier that morning.
"It's been a crazy day. All I know is that he's dealing with a personal issue," Lovullo said after the D-Backs' 11-1 defeat Monday, per Cameron Cox of 12 News. "We're trying to figure that out, and he didn't show up today, and he was put on the restricted list. That's as much as I know right now. I'm sure in time we'll start to uncover (and) unravel some information."
Lovullo added that he had "very little" communication with Marte on Monday. Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo told Jackson that he hadn't spoken with his teammate that day.
When asked after Monday's game if Marte was still in Boston, Lovullo replied, "I believe so. I'm not sure."
Lovullo is incredibly emotional when talking about Ketel, stating several times that he loves him and wants to support him.
— PHNX Diamondbacks (@PHNX_Dbacks) August 18, 2026
Players can be placed on MLB's restricted list if they are under contract but unable to play for off-field reasons. They are not paid and do not accumulate service time while on the restricted list.
Marte, a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner, has played in Arizona since 2017 and is in the second season of a seven-year, $116.5-million extension. He was a key part of the D-Backs' surprising NL pennant run in 2023.
However, there have been reports of friction between the 32-year-old and the team over the past year. Last summer, reports suggested that Marte's teammates were upset with him for taking too many days off, though both Lovullo and other Diamondbacks players publicly defended Marte.
In June, Lovullo stuck up for Marte again after similar reports surfaced, saying the notion that he isn't a good teammate "is not true." The skipper addressed another controversy in July after Marte scrubbed all mentions of the D-Backs from his social media accounts for a brief period.
Marte was involved in offseason trade rumors, though he ultimately remained in Arizona. In April, he gained 10-and-5 rights (10 seasons in the majors, the last five with the same team) earlier this season, allowing him to block any trade moving forward.
This year, Marte is hitting .249/.314/.446 with 21 homers and 67 RBIs over 118 games.
