D-Backs' Marte placed on restricted list after failing to arrive at ballpark

The Arizona Diamondbacks placed star second baseman Ketel Marte on the restricted list ahead of Monday's game against the Boston Red Sox.

Marte didn't show up to Fenway Park for the game, which led Arizona to place him on the list, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. He's in Boston and was supposed to be in the lineup at DH, Piecoro reports. The reason for his absence is still unknown.

Infielder Jose Fernandez was recalled from Triple-A Reno and was in the starting lineup at third base. Lars Nootbaar drew into the lineup at DH in Marte's place.

Players can be placed on MLB's restricted list if they are under contract but unable to play for off-field reasons. They are not paid and do not accumulate service time while on the restricted list.

Marte, a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner, has played in Arizona since 2017 and is in the second season of a seven-year, $116.5-million extension. He was a key part of the D-Backs' surprising NL pennant run in 2023.

However, there have been reports of friction between the 32-year-old and his team over the past year. Last summer, reports suggested that Marte's teammates were upset with him for taking too many days off, though both manager Torey Lovullo and other D-Backs players publicly defended Marte.

Two months ago, Lovullo stuck up for Marte again after similar reports surfaced, saying it isn't "true" that he isn't a good teammate. The skipper addressed another controversy in July after Marte scrubbed all mentions of the D-Backs from his social media accounts for a brief period.

Marte was prominent in offseason trade rumors, though he ultimately remained in Arizona. In April, he gained 10-and-5 rights (10 seasons in the majors, the last five with the same team) earlier this season, allowing him to block any trade moving forward.

This year, Marte is hitting .249/.314/.446 with 21 homers and 67 RBIs over 118 games.