Arizona Diamondbacks player Ketel Marte was observed gambling at a casino on Friday night while his team was in the midst of a game. This appearance occurred just days after Marte failed to show up for a game earlier in the week and was subsequently placed on the injured list.
Marte's unusual week began on Monday when he was scratched from the lineup minutes before the Arizona Diamondbacks were scheduled to play the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. He was placed on the restricted list and reportedly had no contact with the team until Thursday. Following a meeting with team officials on Thursday, Marte, 32, was placed on the 10-day injured list with left knee inflammation.
On Friday, while the Diamondbacks were playing the Cincinnati Reds at Chase Field, Marte was seen by fans at Talking Stick Resort, a local casino. Video footage showed Marte at a gaming table with a television in the background displaying the Reds-Diamondbacks game.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo addressed Marte's casino appearance after the team's 9-0 victory. "He’s free to do whatever he wants," Lovullo told reporters. "That’s how I look at it. 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."
The exact reason for Marte's initial absence remains undisclosed. The Diamondbacks are currently one game behind the San Diego Padres for the final National League Wild Card spot and will be competing without Marte for the foreseeable future.
Teammate Kevin Ginkel expressed confusion regarding the situation. "For us to go where we want to go, we’ve got to have him here," Ginkel said. "It’s disappointing how the things that happened happened. There’s really no explanation for it."
Marte, a decade-long member of the Diamondbacks and one of the franchise's prominent players, is a crucial component of the team's lineup. This season, in 118 games, he has recorded a .249 batting average with 21 home runs and 67 RBIs.
The Diamondbacks, holding a 68-61 record, are scheduled to play the second game of their three-game series against the Reds (61-68) on Saturday.