Overview
- Tuesday, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo directly rebutted a USA Today report that said segments of the organization were frustrated with Marte taking days off and called the narrative false.
- Marte and multiple teammates publicly backed the manager’s defense, and Marte said he and Lovullo have strong communication from a decade-long relationship.
- Marte has appeared in more than 60 games this season and the team says his scheduled rest days are scripted and discussed with him to manage recurring back and hamstring issues.
- A specific trade rumor linking Marte to the Boston Red Sox was dismissed by Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow as “blatantly false,” and Marte gained 10-and-5 rights on April 6 that prevent any trade without his consent.
- The club’s public defense follows an offseason in which Arizona shopped Marte and last year’s absence to the Dominican Republic that provoked past frustration, and the team says the statements are meant to limit distraction during its playoff push.