Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte is day-to-day for a mild left ankle sprain following an MRI exam Tuesday. He will not go on the injured list, manager Torey Lovullo said.
“Ketel has a slight ankle sprain and will take it day by day,” Lovullo said after Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies.
“What does that mean? We’re going to continue to watch him every night and every morning when he comes in and just see where he’s at. We’re hoping he can find his way into the lineup, whether it’s just an emergency, whether he comes off the bench or starts. But the fact that it’s day to day is a really good thing. He’s not going to end up on the injured list, which is even better.”
D-backs manager Torey Lovullo says Ketel Marte has a mild ankle sprain and will not be placed on the injured list. pic.twitter.com/ZcbmZXlCnj
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) 14 August 2024
Marte left Monday’s game against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning after re-injuring an ankle injury caused by an unfortunate jump by Philadelphia Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs at second base on Saturday.
Marte missed Sunday’s game with a bruised left ankle and did not return to the lineup until Monday, when he re-injured it on a hit in his first at-bat.
Kevin Newman would be the most likely candidate to replace Marte for now. Newman has a .279 batting average and has filled in well for the injured Marte, recording three hits on Sunday, two more hits on Monday and a single on Tuesday.
The team also has infielder Blaze Alexander on the 40-man roster as a backup. Alexander was sent to Triple-A Reno on July 2 and has a batting average of .259/.328/.361 with three home runs and 21 RBIs in his rookie season.
In his last 30 games, Marte has a batting average of .330/.408/.718 with 13 home runs and 30 RBIs, and his offensive explosion has put him in the MVP conversation alongside Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Marte has a batting average of .298 with 30 home runs and 81 RBIs this year.
After their series against the Rockies, the D-backs head to Florida to face the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins, two teams that have been struggling recently.
