Ketel Marte returned to Chase Field on Monday carrying more than the responsibility of batting cleanup. After a 13-game absence that began with his failure to report in Boston, the Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman apologized to manager Torey Lovullo and his teammates, then heard boos before his first plate appearance in a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Marte, serving as the designated hitter, went 1-for-3 with a single and a walk. His return restored a proven bat to Arizona's lineup, but it did not settle the questions created by his unexplained absence during a playoff race.
An apology and an uneasy reception
Speaking through an interpreter before the game, Marte accepted responsibility for missing the Aug. 17 series opener at Fenway Park.
"In that instance, I failed (Lovullo) by not showing up," Marte said. "That morning I woke up, my body was in pain and I just couldn't react. No one made the decision for me. I'm the one who made the decision to not show up."
Marte said his teammates accepted his apology and emphasized that staying healthy enough to contribute was his priority. The home crowd delivered a harsher response. Boos overwhelmed scattered cheers as he came to the plate in the first inning, and fans also jeered a man whose welcome-back sign appeared on the video board before the game.
Marte described that first at-bat as "a little strange" and said he hoped the reaction would subside. The response reflected frustration with both the timing of his absence and the uncertainty that surrounded it.
Thirteen games away
Arizona placed Marte on the restricted list Aug. 17 after he failed to report. The club activated him from the restricted list Aug. 20 and immediately placed him on the 10-day injured list after an MRI showed inflammation in his left knee. Because the IL assignment could not be backdated, Marte missed three games while restricted and 10 more on the injured list.
He was activated from the IL on Aug. 31.
The episode drew additional attention when social-media photos showed Marte at a casino during Arizona's Aug. 21 home game against Cincinnati. Players on the injured list generally are not required to remain with the team during games, and CBS Sports reported that Marte had rehabilitated at the club's spring-training complex earlier that day.
Marte did not apologize for the casino visit. He initially offered no message to fans, then said after Monday's game that he had misunderstood the question and would "never stop loving" Diamondbacks supporters.
