Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was removed from Thursday’s starting lineup just before game time against the host St. Louis Cardinals, with back stiffness being cited as the reason.
This is not the first time back trouble has sidelined Marte recently. Earlier this week, he served as the designated hitter on both Monday and Tuesday during games against the Athletics to manage the issue. He returned to second base on Wednesday and played 5 1/2 innings of a 15-5 blowout win over the Athletics before calling it a day.
Through 98 games this season, the 32-year-old is hitting .258 with 18 home runs and 59 RBIs. Over the three seasons prior to this one, he averaged 29.7 home runs per year.
Marte has been one of Arizona’s most decorated players, earning three All-Star selections during his 10 seasons with the club. He was a top finisher in National League MVP voting, placing third in 2024 and fourth in 2019.
Before joining the Diamondbacks, Marte spent two seasons — 2015 and 2016 — with the Seattle Mariners before being traded to Arizona. Over 12 major league seasons and 1,328 career games, he has accumulated 189 home runs, 646 RBIs, and a .279 batting average.
With Marte out of the lineup, the Diamondbacks made several positional changes. First baseman Tyler Locklear was inserted into the starting lineup, Tim Tawa shifted from first base to third, and Ildemaro Vargas moved from third base over to second to fill Marte’s spot.
