The Arizona Diamondbacks have reportedly gone into damage control as they’ve rushed to defend Ketel Marte amid the number of absences the All-Star second baseman has accumulated in a season that has seen the D-Backs fall to 11.5 games back in the NL West and 7.0 back in the Wild Card.
Marte apologized to his teammates and the Diamondbacks after taking an unannounced break during the game before the All-Star break and heading to the Dominican Republic for a short vacation afterward. He told the team he’d be ready for the first game post-break but missed both games, including his own bobblehead night against the Cardinals.
“I can’t control the outsiders,” Marte said through interpreter/coach Rolando Valles, speaking before the Diamondbacks’ 3-1 loss to the Guardians at Chase Field. “I feel fine about the fact that my intent is always to help the team win and support my teammates and everybody around the team. Sometimes that criticism helps me be more motivated to do my job, which is helping the team perform or succeed.”
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Marte also defended his the days off he’s taken.
“In my opinion, it’s something needed,” he said. “I don’t think that it’s too many days off. I’ve had injuries in the past, and this is a plan that has been integrated with the coaching staff and myself, in order to keep me on the field the longest.”
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Despite Marte’s absence issues from last season, there’s key context for this year’s missed games. His house was burglarized during the All-Star Game, with about $400,000 in personal items stolen. Marte said the break-in led him to scrap his plan to rejoin the team right after the break, causing him to miss three games.
It’s expected that the Diamondbacks will listen to trade offers for Marte, especially considering he’ll be able to veto any trade put on the table next season when he acquires 10 and 5 rights. However, trading the veteran second baseman will likely prove to be difficult for the D-Backs, considering he’s under contract for six more years and has a $92.5 million salary after this season.