Marte heading for MRI on knee after placement on restricted list (source)
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One day after being placed on the restricted list with what the club called a “personal matter,” Diamondbacks star second baseman Ketel Marte is now heading back to Phoenix for an MRI on his left knee, a source told MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert. The team has not confirmed the news.
Marte had been pulled from Friday's game with left knee soreness and sat out Saturday before returning to action Sunday, playing second base. He did not show up for Monday’s series opener in Boston against the Red Sox, when he had been penciled into the lineup as the DH for Arizona’s eventual 11-1 loss. The team waited until about 20 minutes before first pitch to officially remove him and place him on the restricted list.
Manager Torey Lovullo declined to get into specifics after the game. Marte had traveled with the team from Atlanta to Boston on Sunday night.
"It's been a crazy day," Lovullo said. "All I know is that he's dealing with a personal issue. We're trying to figure that out, and he didn't show up today and he was put on the restricted list. That's as much as I know right now. I just was doing my best to reach out to him, and there was very little coming back."
After Marte missed Saturday's game with the knee issue, Lovullo indicated it may have been lingering from the Aug. 3-6 series with the Padres.
“It’s been something that’s been bothering him for a couple of days since the Padres series,” Lovullo said. “He’s been trying to gut it out, and he moved to his left and it just got to be a little bit too much for him.”
Lovullo did not have an answer Monday when asked when Marte might return to the club. General manager Mike Hazen also did not provide more details on the situation.
"It was unfortunate that he wasn't there tonight," Hazen said.
Marte’s status moving forward will be a primary storyline as the Diamondbacks (66-60) remain in the NL Wild Card chase. The 32-year-old has posted a .760 OPS with 21 home runs this season. Lars Nootbaar started at DH on Monday, with utilityman Ildemaro Vargas at second base.