Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte (4) celebrates scoring with manager Torey Lovullo against the Rockies during a game at Chase Field. Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Diamondbacks' Manager Defends Ketel Marte

Originally posted on Arizona Diamondbacks on SI
By Alex D'Agostino | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 3:54 PM ET

Arizona Diamondbacks' star second baseman Ketel Marte came into focus on Thursday, as a recent report by AZCentral's Nick Piecoro surfaced that teammates and others in the organization had expressed some frustration with Marte.

The report said players have been rubbed the wrong way by a pattern of Marte asking for days off.

That has partially been a result of injury, but Marte taking multiple games off following the burglary of his house as Arizona fought to keep its clubhouse together at the deadline did cause some resentment, Piecoro reported.

For Piecoro's full report on the situation, click HERE.

On Friday, in light of the recent story, manager Torey Lovullo defended his star player on MLB Network Radio.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Torey Lovullo Defends Ketel Marte

“Ketel is an exceptional ballplayer, I will say that.”@Dbacks manager, Torey Lovullo, gives praise to Ketel Marte's play on the field. #Dbacks pic.twitter.com/ABomyGzGgE
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) August 15, 2025

"Ketel is an exceptional baseball player, I will say that," Lovullo said.

"I think his teammates appreciate the way he goes out there. They know that it's a very strong body and at times the body breaks down. We've seen that.

"When the body is right, and that's where he's at right now, he can do things on a level where he should be putting another league above the major leagues. He's one of those types of players," Lovullo said.

Lovullo said that when Marte (who has been nagged by injuries in his career) isn't feeling 100%, it's a risk the manager is fine with avoiding.

"When the body doesn't feel good, it really wears him down emotionally. And he wants to be out there. I think at times, some players could go out there and play at 40%. Ketel just doesn't want to risk that, and I support that part of him."

Lovullo insisted that he has not seen that resentment in a tangible way in the clubhouse.

"However it's perceived, I don't know," Lovullo said. "I don't see a lot of the things that Nick had said, and I respect Nick [Piecoro], but at the end of the day, I have to get this team ready to play a baseball game.

"I don't think it's going to bother this team. I think our guys are going to go out there and continue to play baseball on a level that I want them to. I don't think there's any underlying theme that was suggested in this piece," Lovullo said.

Regardless of any frustration that may be present, there's no denying Marte is an unbelievable talent, and a player who's been the driving force of the Diamondbacks' surge back into relevancy.

Keeping him healthy is of crucial importance, and Arizona's manager is adamant that he supports his player in that endeavor.