Until we know more details about Ketel Marte’s unexcused absence at Fenway Park in Boston on Monday, Aug. 17, it’s impossible to determine what punishment, if any, the Arizona Diamondbacks should consider doling out to their no-show second baseman.
We appear to be living in a rush-to-judgment society these days where folks demand immediate justice and can’t seem to wait for facts to get in the way of some good old-fashioned retribution.
As fishy as the circumstances surrounding Marte’s latest disappearing act sound, he deserves the chance to explain his situation.
It doesn’t have to be to us, the general public. But he must come clean and set the record straight with his manager, Torey Lovullo; his general manager, Mike Hazen; and then to his teammates, who clearly felt the distraction during their 11-1 loss to the Red Sox.
Marte left them all twisting in the wind by failing to communicate his whereabouts or why he chose not to report to work. Lovullo would only say it was because of a “personal issue,” and looked embarrassed postgame by not being able to say more when meeting with reporters.
On Tuesday, Aug. 18, Republic colleague and Diamondbacks beat writer Nick Piecoro reported that Marte was headed back to Arizona to undergo an MRI on his left knee. That doesn’t sound like a “personal issue.” If true, then it was a “physical issue” or a “health issue.”
Either way, he has been placed on the restricted list by the Diamondbacks, who have seen this act before. It’s the second time in as many seasons Marte has had that designation following an unexcused absence. The last time, it was following a burglary at his Scottsdale home when Marte spent extra time in his native Dominican Republic after the All-Star break.
He missed two games and later apologized for how he handled the situation.
Is he supposed to apologize for a knee issue if that was, indeed, the problem? All we can know for certain is the communication needs to be much, much better between Marte and the Diamondbacks. If it turns out his knee isn’t really the problem, then things will become very interesting.
And it could lead to a major decision and some swift action.
Let’s wait for more of the facts to roll in before even considering what that could look like.
Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on Roc and Manuch with Jimmy B on ESPN 620 (KTAR-AM) and every Thursday on the Doug Franz Unplugged podcast via Apple or Spotify.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Before judging Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks need answers first | Opinion