The Diamondbacks placed Ketel Marte on the restricted list ahead of Monday’s game against the Red Sox and called up Jose Fernandez from Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move.
After Monday’s game, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that Marte, who did not show up for the contest, is dealing with a personal issue. Lovullo was emotional when speaking to reporters, though he emphasized that Marte is “fine.”
“It’s been a crazy day. All I know is that he’s dealing with a personal issue but we’re trying to figure that out. He didn’t show up today and 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 some information. I knew that there was something going on today... but I still believed he was gonna be here. He just didn’t show up,” Lovullo said.
When asked if he was in communication with Marte, Lovullo said, “Very little. This morning, this afternoon. I was doing my best to reach out to him. There was very little coming back.”
Torey Lovullo's postgame on Ketel Marte's no-show. Lovullo is not sure if Marte is still in Boston, says Marte is OK and he's not worried. They talked in the morning and this afternoon but "there was very little coming back."
— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) August 18, 2026
(video courtesy https://t.co/Zd1ZFEYu7y // @Dbacks) pic.twitter.com/JAcrzExwKZ
The Diamondbacks manager noted that he “believes” Marte is still in Boston, though he admitted he wasn’t sure. He also said that there was “curiosity” about the situation within the clubhouse, but that the team was able to relax when it learned Marte was okay.
According to multiple reports, Marte was a no-show at Fenway Park before Monday’s game, despite initially being included in the team’s lineup as the designated hitter. Nick Piecoro of AZ Central reported Marte is “doing OK physically, he just didn’t show up to the ballpark.” Marte reportedly arrived in Boston with the rest of the team, and the Diamondbacks had expected him to play on Monday.
In what was an unusual move, Arizona withheld its official lineup announcement until around 10 minutes before first pitch on Monday, at which point it was revealed that Marte would not be playing and that he had been placed on the restricted list.
A player can be placed on the restricted list by their team due to unexcused absences, as well as personal or non-baseball related reasons. While on the restricted list, a player won’t be paid, nor will they incur any service time.
This incident occurred a little over a year after Marte's time away from the team following last season’s All-Star break, when he flew back home to the Dominican Republic following a burglary at his Scottsdale home. Marte was away from the team for three games and issued a public apology for his absence after returning.
This season, Marte has played in 118 games for the Diamondbacks and owns a .760 OPS with 21 home runs, 67 RBIs and 78 strikeouts. He’s in the second season of a six-year, $105 million contract with Arizona that runs through the 2030 season.
