Diamondbacks manager says injured Ketel Marte free to act after casino video emerges
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said the team will focus on Marte’s recovery after a video showed the injured player at a casino, noting that his attendance at games is not required while on the injured list.
A video posted on social media on Friday showed Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Ketel Marte at a local casino near the team’s Salt River Fields complex. The footage was released while the Diamondbacks were playing a game at Chase Field without Marte, who is on the injured list.
"He’s free to do whatever he wants," manager Torey Lovullo told reporters after Arizona’s 9-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds. "As long as he wakes up tomorrow morning and posts and gets his work done at Salt River, which I am certain he will, that’s all that matters to me right now."
Lovullo explained that players on the injured list are not required to attend games, especially when rehabilitation work is scheduled earlier in the day. He added that the team had moved Marte from the restricted list back to the injured list following a meeting with team officials on Thursday.
"I was hurting. I was clearly hurting. Once I saw what was unfolding, I became extremely frustrated, and I felt betrayed. But I’m through that. I’m getting through that," Lovullo said before Friday’s game.
Pitcher Kevin Ginkel expressed the clubhouse’s perspective, noting that the team’s success depends on Marte’s presence.
"For us to go where we want to go, we’ve got to have him here. It’s disappointing how the things that happened happened. There’s really no explanation for it."
Marte, a three-time All-Star, is batting .249 with 21 home runs and 67 RBIs this season and remains a key contributor as the Diamondbacks pursue a postseason berth.