Diamondbacks to Activate Ketel Marte From IL Ahead of Series Opener Versus Phillies
The Arizona Diamondbacks will likely receive a massive boost to their lineup prior to first pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.
Second baseman Ketel Marte – who last played on Apr. 4 versus the Washington Nationals – appears poised to return from the injured list in Game 1 of the weekend series, according to manager Torey Lovullo.
“There’s a really good chance [Ketel Marte] is going to be playing second base tonight,” he said Friday morning on MLB Network Radio.
Marte travelled with the team to Queens for their three-game series against the Mets but didn’t end up suiting up. He shared an Instagram story Thursday of himself on a plane with Philadelphia tagged as his location at the top, teasing his potential return from the IL.
The 31-year-old has been out of commission since suffering a Grade 1 left hamstring strain while running out a first-inning double at Nationals Park last month. He’s only played eight games this season, hitting .346/.469/.462 with three doubles and zero home runs.
In Marte’s absence, the D-backs have primarily relied upon rookie Tim Tawa at second base, which has gone fairly well thus far, as he’s posted five home runs and a .483 SLG over 19 games. He’s also impressed with his glove, recording one defensive run saved and two outs above average in 17 starts.
Veteran Garrett Hampson has also occasionally filled in, but he’s assumed more of a reserve role recently after being outperformed by Tawa – both offensively and defensively.
Arizona will gladly welcome back Marte’s production after he performed at an MVP level last season, finishing with career-highs in home runs (36) and RBIs (95) while slashing an impressive .346/.469/.462 across 136 games. He also recorded a career-high 151 wRC+ and tied his highest mark in fWAR at 6.3, placing third in NL MVP voting.
Surprisingly, the D-backs lineup hasn’t suffered all that much without Marte this season, as they enter Friday’s slate fourth in the majors in runs per game (5.19), trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers (5.39), New York Yankees (5.71) and Chicago Cubs (6.0).
Arizona’s offence also currently ranks fourth in SLG (.438) and sixth in home runs (42), OBP (.331) and wRC+ (111) through 31 games.
That’s largely due to the early-season success from Corbin Carroll, Josh Naylor (acquired via trade from Cleveland last off-season), and Geraldo Perdomo – a trio that leads the team in wRC+, respectively, in that exact order. They’ve also received plenty of thump from Eugenio Suárez, whose 10 home runs are first on the club.
So, reinserting Marte’s bat into the order should lengthen Arizona’s lineup even further as the franchise attempts to climb up the standings of a jam-packed NL West, which has already solidified itself as the toughest division in baseball this season.
Just over a week into the 2025 campaign, the D-backs inked Marte to a seven-year, $116.5-million extension that includes a ‘31 player option.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: Ian D’Andrea. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.