PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte was a glaring omission from Monday’s starting lineup against the San Francisco Giants, as the club entered the night holding onto a two-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card race with only six contests remaining.
Manager Torey Lovullo said Marte was doing fine, but the veteran has been in the “red zone” for a day off as he continues to progress after missing time due to a left ankle sprain. Lovullo called the lineup decision “preventative,” as Marte has been grinding at less than 100%.
The Diamondbacks have been balancing working players back from injury while trying to keep their foot on the gas in such a tight playoff race. Lovullo compared his handling of Christian Walker’s return from an oblique strain to Marte’s situation.
“Yesterday I took Christian Walker out of the lineup. … It’s probably about three or four days too late to give him a day off, talking to the medical team,” Lovullo said. “As a manager, sometimes we do desperate things, and we’re in that point right now where we got to win baseball games.
“I’m in that same space with Marte. Marte has been going out there with his blood and guts and giving everything he possibly can. The left leg, it probably wasn’t 100% when he came back, if you guys studied the swings enough, you could recognize he was protecting that space. It’s getting much better. He feels very good, and he’s gaining confidence on that left leg. … I just probably went a little bit too far with him, and I needed to get him the day off today.”
Marte had a day off last Tuesday in Colorado, which Lovullo said had to do with the altitude. The switch-hitter was on the IL from Aug. 19 to Sept. 6 after initially hurting the ankle on Aug. 10.
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“I think we were in a dangerous spot with with him … I know there’s soreness in that lower half that he probably is not admitting or talking about,” Lovullo said. “And I would say, if it was a last game of the season, winner-take-all, I think he would gut it out one more day and come into my office and say, ‘I want to play in this baseball game.’”
Lovullo said Marte would be available off the bench Monday and should come up in a key spot. Kevin Newman received the start to fill in. Walker was back in Monday’s lineup after his day off.
Marte and Walker are expected to be full-go the rest of the way. Marte has homered in three straight games, as he has heated back up to his pre-injury production at the plate following a slow start.
Gabriel Moreno MRI results
Catcher Gabriel Moreno remains day-to-day after exiting Sunday’s game in Milwaukee with left adductor tightness, the ballclub announced. Moreno received an MRI on Monday, and Lovullo said the club felt it “dodged a bullet.”
Moreno missed six weeks with a left adductor strain. There is still some soreness, but the MRI came out “unremarkable.”
Jose Herrera received the start Monday behind the plate.
Why is Lourdes Gurriel Jr. not starting?
Left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was also absent from the lineup due to a return-to-play progression, giving way for Pavin Smith to start against a right-handed pitcher, Hayden Birdsong.
Gurriel returned from the injured list on Friday after spending nearly three weeks down with a calf strain.
Diamondbacks’ lineup vs. Giants without Ketel Marte
Game 157.https://t.co/epBmrbYHsx | https://t.co/k9Xjx1ui6d pic.twitter.com/sAkU0JtzcO
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 23, 2024
First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.