One day after Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte didn't report for a game in Boston, he traveled to Phoenix to get an MRI exam on his balky left knee.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo still hasn't had any communication with the three-time All-Star, but shortstop Geraldo Perdomo had some text conversation with Marte on Tuesday.
"I texted him and asked him what happened, and he didn't respond to me yesterday," Perdomo said of Marte, his close friend. "But today I just texted him about
how his knee feels, because I know it's been bothering him since the (All-Star) break. And he told me he felt a little uncomfortable and was going to get an MRI. So, that's the conversation that we had."
Marte, 32, exited Friday's game against the Atlanta Braves with knee soreness and sat out Saturday night. He returned to play second base on Sunday and traveled with the team for the series against the Red Sox.
When Marte didn't show at Fenway Park on Monday, Arizona placed him on the restricted list.
Lovullo had limited information on Tuesday and said it was time for him to worry about the entire team, not one player.
"I think he's headed back to Phoenix to get some get some exams done on his left knee," Lovullo told reporters. "That's what I've been told.
"But overall, my focus has shifted. My focus yesterday was squarely on this topic, but right now it's on the 26 players that are inside of the clubhouse right now. That's my responsibility and that's what we have to do in this game. We've got to shift our focuses and be present for what's most important. And the most important thing to me right now is going out (to) win a baseball game."
One matter of curiosity was why Marte couldn't undergo the MRI exam in Boston. Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado underwent one in Boston on his intercostal muscle on Monday.
"It's not my department, I don't know the reason for that," Lovullo said. "So, I think it might have been his request to go back and see our doctors in Phoenix."
Ildemaro Vargas started at second base for the Diamondbacks on Tuesday for the second straight night. Arizona was whipped 11-1 on Monday amidst the Marte chaos.
Marte has been the subject of odd absences before. His home in Arizona was robbed the night of the 2025 All-Star Game, and he chose to travel to his native Dominican Republic in the aftermath, missing the Diamondbacks' first three games after the All-Star break. He apologized for his decision to leave the team following a report that some teammates were unhappy with him.
Marte is batting just .249 this season to go with 21 homers and 67 RBIs. He is in his 10th season with Arizona and finished third in National League MVP voting in 2024 and fourth in 2019.
Marte also was MVP of the 2023 NL Championship Series when Arizona advanced to the World Series, falling to the Texas Rangers.
--Field Level Media
