Marte gets day off, but available off bench for finale vs. Rockies

DENVER -- D-backs second baseman Ketel Marte had a routine day off Sunday for the rubber match of the three-game set in Colorado, and manager Torey Lovullo emphasized there was no cause for concern with the leadoff hitter.

“There’s nothing to read into it,” Lovullo said, confirming it was a pre-planned off-day for the veteran. “It's very programmed when we come up here, especially for Ketel, that he's going to get a day off. When we were talking about it, he said, ‘I will absolutely be ready to come off the bench to help us win a game on Sunday.’ So that's definitely in play for us.”

Marte, 32, was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk in Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Rockies, and Lovullo said he saw signs that he’s starting to get in his groove after hitting .209 (34-for-163) in his first 41 games.

“Ketel's been really consistent all year, and I know I go back to the expected numbers, and it isn't a game of expected numbers, it's a game of results,” Lovullo said. “But when that's all we can lean on, when we're seeing trends and habits, I know that Ketel is going to come out of this. If he continues to strike the ball the way he is, it's going to start to fall for him for sure.”

Ildermaro Vargas took the leadoff spot in the order and played second on Sunday. Vargas is 4-for-9 in the series, with three singles and a double in Friday’s opener.