Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen says the star second baseman is expected to resume playing once healthy following a tense week that began with an unexplained absence in Boston.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are transferring second baseman Ketel Marte from the restricted list to the 10-day injured list, general manager Mike Hazen told Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. The move, finalized Thursday, Aug. 20, comes after Marte spent three days on the restricted list following a puzzling no-show at Fenway Park and a subsequent trip back to Phoenix for medical imaging on his left knee. Hazen said the club expects Marte to rejoin the team once he is healthy, a signal that the organization views the episode as shifting from a personal and disciplinary matter into one centered on injury management.
Arizona Sports 98.7 FM's John Gambadoro reported that Marte is dealing with inflammation in his upper hamstring and the medial joint of his left knee, providing the first detailed medical picture of what sidelined the veteran infielder. The Diamondbacks' own injuries and transactions log had previously listed Marte's issue simply as "left knee soreness," with his expected return marked as to be determined.
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A Confusing Absence In Boston Triggers The Restricted List
The chain of events began well before the Fenway Park incident. Marte exited a game early on Aug. 14 due to left knee soreness, sat out the following game, and then returned to the lineup ahead of the Diamondbacks' series in Boston. The knee issue appeared to be a lingering, manageable concern until Monday, Aug. 17, when Marte failed to show up at Fenway Park for Arizona's series opener against the Red Sox.
Manager Torey Lovullo told reporters that night that Marte was dealing with a "personal issue," and the club placed him on the restricted list before first pitch. Arizona lost the game, but the larger story quickly became Marte's absence and the lack of clarity surrounding it. National outlets, including ESPN, noted that this marked the second consecutive season in which the Diamondbacks had placed Marte on the restricted list for reasons unrelated to on-field performance.
Limited Communication And A Trip Back To Phoenix
In the days following the no-show, Lovullo acknowledged he had not spoken directly with Marte and was uncertain which members of the organization, if any, had been in contact with him. He said he believed Marte had returned to Phoenix to undergo imaging on his left knee, but stressed that his understanding was based on secondhand information.
Marte's agent, Charisse Espinosa-Dash, told MLB Network, as relayed by ESPN, that Marte was continuing to deal with a personal matter and would undergo an MRI on his knee that Thursday in Phoenix. Hazen, speaking on a radio interview before the results were known, said he planned a face-to-face meeting with Marte on Thursday, Aug. 20, and that the MRI findings combined with that conversation would determine the "path forward," including whether an IL transfer was appropriate. At that point, Hazen was notably noncommittal when asked whether Marte would return to the team at all in 2026, reflecting how uncertain the situation remained just a day before the resolution.
Meeting In Phoenix Leads To Injured List Decision
The uncertainty eased somewhat on Thursday, Aug. 20, when Marte met in Phoenix with Hazen, Lovullo, and his agent, according to The Arizona Republic. Following that meeting, Hazen told Piecoro that Marte would be transferred from the restricted list to the 10-day injured list, with the paperwork finalized the same day.
Hazen reiterated that the Diamondbacks expect Marte to resume playing once he is healthy, language that suggests the club and player have reached some level of mutual understanding after a rocky few days. The shift to the injured list also has practical implications, moving Marte off restricted-list status, which does not carry pay or service-time accrual, and into a more conventional injury-recovery framework.
What Remains Unknown About Marte's Situation
Several details remain unresolved even after the IL transfer was confirmed. The precise nature of the "personal matter" cited by both Lovullo and Marte's agent has not been disclosed publicly, and no outlet covering the story has offered specifics beyond describing it as private. No firm return timetable has been established; MLB.com's transactions page continues to list Marte's expected return as TBD.
The situation carries additional context given Marte's standing with the organization. He reached 10 years of MLB service time in early April, earning full no-trade rights, and was the subject of extensive trade speculation over the winter before Arizona opted to keep him and stop trade discussions in January. That backdrop underscores why the club's public messaging has remained focused on reintegration rather than separation as Marte begins his recovery on the injured list.
