The Diamondbacks announced that the second baseman Ketel Marte was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a sprained left ankle. Infielder/Outfielder Pavin Smith was recalled as a corresponding move.
Marte has been battling an ankle injury for over a week. Last Saturday, when he played against the Phillies, Garrett Stubbs slipped to second base while attempting a hustle double. Marte received the throw from left field and tried to tag Stubbs as the two collided, but his leg got caught awkwardly under the Philly catcher (video from MLB.com).
Arizona’s second baseman was taken out of the game because of obvious pain, but has since tried to play despite his injury. He was in the lineup for last Monday’s game, but appeared to be in pain again and was taken out of the game. He then missed a few days, but returned to the lineup on Saturday as the designated hitter. He was not in the starting lineup yesterday, but came in as a pinch-hitter, appeared to aggravate his injury on a check swing, and was taken out of the game before completing his at-bat.
After those failed attempts to stay on the field, he will now be sidelined for at least 10 days. Manager Torey Lovullo doesn’t seem too concerned, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com on X. He says it’s probably a mild sprain and that Marte just needs some rest. Whether or not he’ll be out longer than the 10 days remains to be seen, but it’s certainly a big blow to the Diamondbacks, as Marte has put himself in the MVP conversation with a stellar season.
Marte has 30 home runs and a 10.4% walk rate this year, and has limited his strikeouts to 17.8%. His batting line of .298/.370/.560 translates to a wRC+ of 152, meaning he’s been 52% better than the league average at the plate. Only ten qualified major leaguers have a better mark this year. He’s also stolen six bases and received high marks for his defense in the keystone. According to FanGraphs, only six players have more Wins Above Replacement than his 5.4 this year. Francisco Lindor And Shohei Ohtani are the only two National League players ahead of him.
A loss of this performance would hurt any team, but the Snakes also have Christian Walker And Gabriel Moreno are currently on the injured list, meaning they will begin this week without three of their top starters.
The D’backs have been playing very well of late and currently boast a record of 69-56. They are just four games behind the Dodgers in the West and hold the second wild card spot in the National League, but teams like Atlanta, the Mets and others are within striking distance. The Snakes will look to stay ahead of that pack in the coming weeks, but will do so without Marte, Walker or Moreno on the roster and it is unclear when any of those three might return to the club.
Kevin Newman has played a lot of second base in Marte’s place this past week and may continue to do so. He’s a solid defender, but has hit .262/.305/.361 for a wRC+ of 78 in his career. His slugging of .281/.314/.382 is a little better this year, but still equates to a below-average wRC+ of 92.
Smith’s recall is likely just a way for the club to get an extra bat, as he has only played first base and the outfield in his career. Blaze Alexander is probably the club’s current reserve at the three positions to the left of first base and supports Newman, Geraldo Perdomo And Eugenio Suarez.
