A difficult update for the Diamondbacks
New reporting has shed light on Ketel Marte’s unexplained absence from the Arizona Diamondbacks, and it points to a deeply personal reason. In a report published by The Sun, Marte missed the team’s scheduled game against the Boston Red Sox on August 17, after traveling with the club from Atlanta to Boston.
The Sun says Marte became difficult to reach, and the Diamondbacks later placed him on the restricted list after he did not show up for the game, which Boston won 11-1. The outlet also notes that a restricted-list placement is used for players who are under contract but away for personal, legal, or non-baseball reasons.
What the new reporting says
According to The Sun, via The Athletic, a source close to Marte who was not authorized to speak publicly said he is facing the loss of a close family member. That is the clearest explanation to emerge so far for why he was away from the team.
The report also places this moment in the context of a rough stretch for Marte. The Sun says he lost his maternal grandmother in the spring of 2025. It also says he went through a difficult period in the first half of last year, which included being the victim of a burglary while he was at the All-Star Game, and an incident in which a fan reduced him to tears with a remark about his deceased mother.
For Diamondbacks fans, this is one of those reminders that the game keeps moving, but the people in it are still dealing with real life off the field. When a player disappears from the lineup without much explanation, it’s easy for the rumor mill to fill the gap. This reporting gives the situation a more human shape, even if it still leaves plenty that’s private — and rightly so.
The Sun’s update doesn’t turn this into a baseball story so much as a life story that happens to involve baseball. And around here, that’s the kind of news that tends to land a little heavier than a box score.
