Arizona Diamondbacks star second baseman Ketel Marte remains on the restricted list after failing to show up for Monday’s game against the Boston Red Sox. But clarity could be coming soon. Team general manager Mike Hazen said Wednesday that he planned to meet with Marte on Thursday, potentially clearing things up between the team and player.
Ahead of that meeting, however, Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall appeared on a local radio program and called the situation both a “complete mystery” and “bizarre,” saying the team still doesn’t have answers.
"Still a complete mystery. It’s just bizarre."
Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall tells @Bickley_Marotta the team still hasn’t learned the reason why Ketel Marte didn’t appear at Fenway Park on Monday.
Hall's interview is presented by Freeway Chevrolet. pic.twitter.com/FKi0THvSCf
Hall added that the team needs “explanations from [Marte] and apologies from him.” Once that happens, Hall added, “Hopefully, we can pick up the pieces, and move on and turn the page.”
Hall briefly spoke about Marte’s absence from the team last year. Following the All-Star break, Marte took some time off after learning his house had been burglarized. That absence apparently caused a rift between Marte and the team, causing Marte to later apologize for taking time off. Hall said the two situations are not identical, but added, “There is a bit of a history there.”
Hall said he believed Marte’s absence affected the team the past few games. On Monday, the Diamondbacks fell 11-1 to Boston. The following day, Arizona blew a 4-3 lead after a Gabriel Moreno grand slam briefly put them ahead. The Diamondbacks avoided a sweep Wednesday, winning 7-6 in extras. It was an encouraging victory given the Marte situation, Hall said.
While Hall said he was disappointed that Marte did not show up for Monday’s game, he stressed that the team is withholding judgement until they hear from Marte exactly what was going on that prevented him from being there.
While Marte’s absence was originally described as a personal issue, the situation took a bit of a turn Tuesday, when it was announced Marte would return to Phoenix for an MRI on his knee. A day later, Marte’s agent confirmed the second baseman would undergo an MRI on Thursday and that he looked forward to returning to the team as soon as possible.
Marte’s MRI and chat with Hazen should provide some clarity on the situation moving forward. For now, it sounds like the Diamondbacks are just as in the dark as everyone else regarding why Marte hasn’t been around.
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