Diamondbacks Manager, Owner Address Ketel Marte's 'Immaturity' Following Unexcused Absence

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo has stated he will alter his approach with infielder Ketel Marte, indicating he will no longer protect the player in the same manner as before. This comes after Marte's unexcused absence from the team in August, an incident that has drawn criticism from both Lovullo and Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick.

Lovullo, who recently signed a two-year contract extension, addressed the situation on the "Burns & Gambo Show" on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. "I think what I would tell him is what I would tell every other player: the decisions you make are going to be on you now," Lovullo said. "I’m going to eliminate protecting you the way I have. And I will allow you to go out there and answer the questions on your own behalf instead of me protecting you. I think I would change my tune in that way."

He further elaborated on his evolving managerial philosophy. "I’ve taken the mindset that whenever anything goes wrong, it’s my fault. And I’m going to protect these players like they’re my own boys. And at a certain point, I can’t do that anymore. So I have to allow them to advocate for themselves in the proper space. That’s what I’ve learned over the past couple of years."

Marte, a three-time All-Star, batted .249 with 22 home runs and 76 RBIs in 141 games during the past season. The Diamondbacks finished two games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the final National League wild-card spot.

The unexcused absence occurred during a three-game series from August 17-19, when Marte did not report to Fenway Park for a game without notifying Lovullo or the front office. The organization subsequently placed Marte on the 10-day injured list before his return to the team on August 31. This incident marked the fourth time in four years Marte has been absent from the team without their knowledge.

Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick also commented on Marte's behavior, stating, "It is not my job to micromanage the players. It is Torey’s job to manage the players." Kendrick expressed hope that Marte would overcome his "consistent acts of immaturity" and perform to his potential if he remains with the team. "That is what his manager should be doing, not me," Kendrick added. "I don’t mean it to come out as if I don’t have any responsibility in all of this. I do. But the primary responsibility for the ball players is the field manager once they’re selected by the general manager. And we’ve had a lot of good results from Ketel, and we’ve had some unfortunate acts of immaturity, and that needs to end."

Upon his return on August 31, the 32-year-old Marte apologized to Lovullo and his teammates, attributing his absence to "a moment of frustration." He explained, "I’m the type of person that when something is going on in my life, I don’t like to talk about it. That morning I woke up, my body was in pain and I couldn’t react. No one made the decision for me, I’m the one that made the decision not to show up."

Marte has a no-trade clause in his contract, which runs through 2031, giving him 10-5 veto rights on any potential trade this offseason.