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, which led 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 is fine physically, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
Lovullo said that he first learned of Marte's potential absence Monday morning. He wasn't sure if Marte will be back Tuesday.
"It's been a crazy day. All I know is that he's dealing with a personal issue," Lovullo told reporters after the D-Backs' 11-1 defeat, 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 D-Backs reporter Jody Jackson that he also hadn't spoken with his teammate.
When asked 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 his 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 D-Backs players publicly defended Marte.
Two months ago, Lovullo stuck up for Marte again after similar reports surfaced, saying it isn't "true" that he isn't a good teammate. 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 prominent 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.
