CHICAGO -- D-backs shortstop Ketel Marte has left the team and returned to the Dominican Republic to be with his family following the tragic death of his mother in a car accident Sunday.
The D-backs have placed Marte on the bereavement list, with a corresponding move to follow on Tuesday.
"We are deeply saddened by the news we received last night regarding Ketel's mother," D-backs team president/CEO Derrick Hall said in a statement. "We consider every member of our organization part of our immediate family, and our thoughts and prayers are with Ketel as he deals with this unimaginable tragedy."
Marte, 23, was acquired by the D-backs from the Mariners as part of the Taijuan Walker trade on Nov. 23. He began the year with Triple-A Reno before being called up June 28.
With Brandon Drury's struggles at the plate of late, Marte had begun to get more starts at shortstop. And with shortstop/second baseman Chris Owings now out with a fractured right middle finger and Nick Ahmed still on the disabled list with a fractured right hand, the team figures to lean on Marte even more in the coming months.
"Marte has been playing very, very good baseball," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said this past weekend. "He's deserving of that extra playing time. There's no mystery as to why he's playing and the reasons why he's having success. He's working extremely hard to make those moments happen. I'm just responding the way I feel like I need to, to put him in there as often as I possibly can."
Marte has hit .242/.314/.500 in 70 plate appearances for Arizona.