Lovullo Says Marte Broke No Rules With Casino Visit as Diamondbacks Push Past 1-Week Drama

Q: What undisclosed personal secret forced Ketel Marte into an unexcused absence before his controversial casino appearance?

It has not been publicly disclosed. Reporting only says Marte missed the Diamondbacks’ game because of a “personal matter,” and team officials have repeatedly said they either did not know the full reason at the time or were keeping it private. The available reporting points to two overlapping issues: a personal matter and a left knee problem. Marte returned to Arizona for an MRI, which showed inflammation in his knee, and he later was moved from the restricted list to the injured list. Lovullo also suggested Marte had frustration related to the knee, along with “a few things” he wanted to keep personal. No credible report in the material provided identifies any specific secret or personal crisis that “forced” the absence. The Diamondbacks’ president even described the situation as a “complete mystery” and “bizarre” before the team met with Marte, and teammates said they had little or no explanation. So the direct answer is that the undisclosed personal reason remains unknown to the public.

3 articles · Updated · MLB.com · Aug 23

Torey Lovullo said Saturday that Ketel Marte’s casino visit was not a choice he would make, but the injured Diamondbacks infielder broke no team rules and was free to go.
Marte, on the injured list, is only required to report for early rehab work at Salt River Fields and is not obligated to attend home games; Lovullo said he completed that work Saturday morning.
The social-media sighting came Friday night while Arizona beat Cincinnati 9-0, extending scrutiny around Marte after last week’s separate team drama.
The next step is Marte addressing teammates in the coming days and then speaking publicly, as Arizona tries to refocus on the NL Wild Card race.