Ketel Marte Disappears From Game, Missing For 20 Minutes

The Ketel Marte story just keeps getting more bizarre. One of baseball's top talents and a fixture in the Arizona Diamondbacks lineup since 2017, he traveled with his squad to Boston for a critical series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Then he simply never appeared at the stadium. He did not inform the front office, he did not tell his manager, and he did not notify his teammates that he would be missing. Arizona waited until twenty minutes before first pitch to officially place him on the restricted list. Manager Torey Lovullo admitted after the game that "there was very little coming back" from Marte regarding his absence.

Lovullo also noted that nobody knew if Marte remained in Boston or had already left for Phoenix or some other location. His agent released a statement Wednesday saying the 32-year-old is handling a "personal matter" and has a knee injury requiring an MRI. "[Marte] is currently managing a personal matter and will be undergoing an MRI on his knee tomorrow," the release stated. "Ketel appreciates the unwavering support from fans, teammates, the Diamondbacks organization, and Torey Lovullo during this time. He remains optimistic about his recovery and looks forward to returning to the field to contribute to the team as soon as possible."

The plot thickened Thursday when executives admitted they still have no clue what happened or why he missed the game. In a new interview with "Bickley & Marotta" on 98.7 in Phoenix, team president and CEO Derrick Hall called it a "mystery." "Still a complete mystery," Hall said Thursday morning. "It's just bizarre." He added that Marte must provide more details and apologize to his teammates and the organization before they can move forward. "We're going to have to get explanations from him and apologies from him and hopefully we can pick up the pieces and move on and turn the page," he said.

What made it even stranger is that Hall saw Marte at the team hotel Sunday where "he appeared just fine" before becoming a no-show. Hall emphasized there is no excuse for showing up without prior communication or an explanation. "Any player who has a responsibility to be at the ballpark needs to be there, unless it's been prearranged," he said as the group headed home to Phoenix. "We're not sure what this situation is, that's why we want to hear what the results of the MRI are right away, and still, we need to know: 'OK, if you were feeling sore, if you were hurting, why didn't you go and have treatment?' That's what you do."

Hall personally expressed disappointment that a player did not show up where he was supposed to but said he can get past it if he hears a reason. "Maybe there will be a reason to help him," Hall noted, adding they need to hear about any personal issue his agent mentioned and see if the team can alleviate the situation. Any player missing a game without an explanation would seem odd, yet for one of the best in the sport earning twenty million dollars annually to withhold information from his own team? That ranks among the weirdest baseball stories in years. Perhaps Marte faces a serious personal issue or his knee injury has worsened. Those are valid reasons not to play, but all it takes is a text or phone call to excuse an absence. For him to lack even that courtesy?

Former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Mike Pouncey says he will never forgive Bill Lazor for calling him during a critical moment in the regular season. That call came while the Dolphins were locked in a fierce battle for a playoff berth. The timing made it impossible to overlook or simply move past. Pouncey insists the memory stings because trust was broken right when the team needed unity most.