Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was seen at a casino in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Friday evening, shortly after he inexplicably failed to join the team for a road series against the Boston Red Sox. Marte was photographed playing roulette at the Talking Stick Resort and Casino, which is located near the team's spring training facility.
At the time of the sighting, Marte's teammates were competing in games crucial for their playoff aspirations, as the team was two games behind the final National League wildcard spot. Following his unexplained absence from the Boston series, Marte was placed on the team's 'restricted list' by manager Torey Lovullo. Days later, an MRI revealed a knee injury, and he was subsequently placed on the 10-day injured list.
Lovullo addressed the video of Marte at the casino. "He's free to do whatever he wants. That's how I look at it," Lovullo told reporters after the team's 9-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. "As long as he wakes up tomorrow morning and posts and gets his work done at Salt River, which I am certain he will, that's all that matters to me right now."
Lovullo acknowledged that players on the injured list are not required to attend games, and rehabilitation work typically occurs earlier in the day. However, he admitted to past frustration with Marte's actions in Boston. "Once I saw what was unfolding, I became extremely frustrated," Lovullo said. "I felt betrayed. And that's a whole different type of pain and frustration. But I'm through that."
On Thursday, Marte, Lovullo, general manager Mike Hazen, and Marte's agent held a meeting to discuss the situation. Following this meeting, Marte was placed on the injured list. Lovullo indicated that Marte expressed ongoing frustration with his knee injury. "There's right ways to handle things and wrong ways to handle things," Lovullo stated. "I think the conclusion that was drawn up yesterday was that we could have been better. Ketel could have been better, specifically. Admittedly so."
The manager expressed a desire to focus on baseball. "I want to manage baseball games. I want to do what I love doing between the white lines and not have to answer these types of questions. ... I don't love the drama that follows this ballclub. I want to be a good baseball team, and we've got to figure this out."
Despite the recent events, Lovullo maintained a positive relationship with Marte, stating, "I 'love[s]' Marte and that his relationship with the player 'is not going to change.'" Marte is the longest-serving player on the Diamondbacks roster and is generally regarded positively within the clubhouse.
Some teammates have voiced confusion regarding Marte's departure. Relief pitcher Kevin Ginkel described the situation as "disappointing" but emphasized his wish for Marte to achieve physical and mental well-being. Ginkel also expressed that players would appreciate hearing Marte's perspective on the events. "I think it'd be nice to hear it, for sure," Ginkel said. "I think a lot of players are kind of frustrated about how it happened. But first and foremost, it's him getting his knee right and mentally being in a good place to where he can come back and help contribute."