After playing with a sprained left ankle for eight days, Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte was taken off the active roster on Monday.
The Diamondbacks placed Marte on the 10-day injured list ahead of their three-game series in Miami.
Marte hurt his ankle during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on August 10 when Garrett Stubbs slid into him at second base.
Marte missed three games but aggravated the injury while pinch hitting against Tampa Bay on Sunday. He had been the designated hitter on Saturday, where he had a single and a walk in four at-bats.
“Ketel needs some time off,” said Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo on Monday. “He was trying to play through it but made the ankle sprain worse. We hope his time on the injured list will be as short as possible.”
Marte is currently third in the National League with 30 home runs and has 81 RBIs in 116 games. His strong performance has helped Arizona to a 69-56 record, putting them just one game behind San Diego for the top NL wild-card spot.
“We thought he was healed, and he seemed to be improving,” Lovullo said. “But he was practicing intensely, and it flared up again.”
The Diamondbacks have a 28-13 record since early July but were swept in three games by the Rays before starting their series in Miami.
Marte has returned to Arizona, and Lovullo doesn’t expect him to need any more tests.
“He just needs a bit more time,” Lovullo said.
