Marte out – Ketel Marte was removed from the Diamondbacks’ starting lineup Wednesday due to “full body fatigue,” with manager Torey Lovullo saying the team is choosing a day off to avoid the risk of a hamstring injury. Geraldo Perdomo moved into the leadoff role, Ildemaro
PHOENIX — Ketel Marte didn’t take his place in the Diamondbacks’ starting lineup on Wednesday. and it wasn’t because of a slow day at the plate or a routine defensive decision. Manager Torey Lovullo called it “full body fatigue. ” and he explained why this kind of fatigue has become a line they refuse to cross.
When Marte runs into this type of fatigue, Lovullo said it comes with tightness in his hamstrings and lower back. Over time. the team has learned that the smart move is giving him a day off rather than pushing through and risking a hamstring injury that could keep him sidelined for an extended stretch.
“He battles this all year long. and you guys know how much he means to this team. I know much he means to this team. ” Lovullo said. “But it got to the point where with low back tightness and hamstring tightness. when he gets to this level. there’s a chance he could break. and we’re going to miss him for weeks instead of a day. So I will trade one day for two weeks.”.
Lovullo said Marte and he met before Tuesday’s game. He asked Marte to play Tuesday, then gave him Wednesday off.
The timing mattered because the Diamondbacks opened the third game of a four-game series against the Dodgers. with Wednesday’s matchup featuring Dodgers right-hander Shohei Ohtani. Lovullo talked about the matchup as something fans want to see—saying “it would be awesome to see that [matchup]”—and then pointed to what he’d noticed in Marte’s movement leading up to Wednesday.
“We’re gonna have plenty of showdowns between these two. It’s gonna happen at some point. But I just know how — and you could see the way he ran to first base a couple times yesterday and I saw him grimacing [when] picking up ground balls. He’s right at that very critical point where it could go one way or another. and I want to rest him.”.
With Marte out of the starting lineup, Geraldo Perdomo filled Marte’s leadoff spot. Ildemaro Vargas took over at second base.
Lovullo also made it clear that this isn’t expected to become a multi-game absence. He said Marte would be available off the bench on Wednesday, and that he’s expected to return to the lineup Thursday night.
“It’s just a one day thing,” Lovullo said. “There’s nothing that’s going to linger. When I spoke to him about it, I said, ‘Will you be ready late in the game?’ He said, ‘Absolutely.’ So, you might see him late in the game.”
Ketel Marte Diamondbacks Torey Lovullo full body fatigue hamstring tightness lower back tightness Geraldo Perdomo Ildemaro Vargas Shohei Ohtani