The fan reception of returning second baseman Ketel Marte was one of many questions still unanswered ahead of Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Chase Field.
Marte, who has been absent from the Diamondbacks’ lineup since August 17, dealing with a personal issue and a knee injury, has been a hot topic of debate among fans and media alike.
Marte met with the media on Monday to discuss the happenings of the last two weeks. He had no-showed unexpectedly to Fenway Park on that August 17 game, was placed on the Restricted List, and subsequently became a point of national conversation — in mostly negative contexts.
And when Marte did finally take the field — as the DH — for the first time on Monday night, that question was answered in relatively loud fashion.
When Marte walked out for his first at-bat, there was a significant amount of booing from the home fans.
There were some cheers, as well, as some fans opted to show their support for the All-Star second baseman. But it would be safe to say the overall sentiment was that of frustration from Arizona’s attending fans.
When Marte grounded out on a 1-1 pitch moments later, those boos increased in volume.
The fan reception had been a topic of conversation with manager Torey Lovullo pregame, just ahead of Marte’s return to Diamondbacks action.
“A little bit, a little bit,” Lovullo said, when asked if he was concerned about how fans might react to seeing Marte again. “He’s an emotional kid. He’s a very emotional kid.”
Earlier, when Marte was asked if he had a specific message for the fans, he did not offer comment. He simply shook his head and remained silent ahead of the next question.
Lovullo said he believes Marte does appreciate Diamondbacks fans despite the way he chose to answer that question.
“I know that he loves the fans. I know that he picks up on their energy. He pays attention to what the fans say and do and, and love and support of him. Maybe he didn’t answer the question the way he would have if… he had a chance to really sit down and say what he wanted to say, but I know he loves his fans,” Lovullo said.
It’s understandable that fans might choose to use this opportunity to voice frustration. There has been plenty of it to go around — fans, media, coaches, even Marte’s teammates.
The only way he will be able to silence those is with his bat. It’s easy, given the recent situation, to forget that Marte posted MVP-level numbers in 2024 and 2025, and led the charge to the World Series with a historic performance in the 2023 postseason.
Regardless, the best way forward is for Marte to perform. The Diamondbacks need his bat to come back to life.
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