The Arizona Diamondbacks have played through injuries to All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte in four of the past five seasons, and it appears that will be the case again.
Marte suffered a strained left hamstring Friday in the first inning of the Diamondbacks’ 6-4 victory over the Nationals, a victory that spoiled Washington’s home opener. CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia Jr. and Nathaniel Lowe homered for the Nationals.
The teams will continue their three-game series Saturday afternoon in Washington, D.C.
Marte pulled up in obvious discomfort and frustration before he reached second base on a double as the second batter of Friday’s game. The severity of the injury was not immediately known, but Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Marte likely would be placed on the 10-day injured list.
“We budget for these hard times,” Lovullo said. “The timing of it isn’t ideal, but we have players who are ready to step in and hold down the fort until he gets back. The degree of which he is injured will be determined probably within the next 48 hours.”
Corbin Carroll’s two-homer, three-RBI day and Randal Grichuk’s tiebreaking, two-run double in the seventh propelled the Diamondbacks to their fourth victory in the past five games.
They will send Eduardo Rodriguez (0-0, 5.06 ERA) to the mound Saturday to face fellow left-hander Mitchell Parker (1-0, 0.00), the only Nationals’ pitcher with a win this season. Washington lost four in a row and is 1-6 after series losses to Philadelphia and Toronto.
“It’s a long season, as everyone knows,” Garcia said through an interpreter. “It’s important for us to stay together, game by game, day by day. Obviously, all of us have done a great job staying together.”
Nationals manager Dave Martinez was upset by a ball that was called on a close 0-2 pitch to pinch hitter Grichuk with two outs in the seventh. Grichuk hit his double to deep right field on the next pitch.
“It was a strike,” Martinez said. “Let’s call it what it is. (Plate umpire Ryan Wills) missed it. That’s OK. Comes back the next pitch and missed location. He tried to go in, he left it out over the plate.”
Marte, 31, who signed a six-year, $116.5 million contract extension Thursday, played 136 games last season while missing time with ankle and back injuries, although he still finished third in NL MVP voting.
He also was out for multiple games with hamstring injuries in 2021 and 2022.
Parker pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings in his season debut Sunday, a 5-1 victory over Philadelphia when he struck out five and walked two. He gave up two runs in five innings of his lone career start against the Diamondbacks last July 29.
Rodriguez will make his second start of 2025 after giving up three runs in 5 1/3 innings of a no-decision against the Chicago Cubs last Sunday. He gave up three hits, including homers to Dansby Swanson and Seiya Suzuki, struck out five and walked three in a game Arizona won 10-6.
Rodriguez, who spent his first eight seasons in the American League, has faced the Nationals only three times, two as a starter, and has not given up a run to them in 12 innings. He is 3-0 against the Nationals and faced them twice in 2021, once as a starter and once in relief.
Lowe is 4-for-7 with three RBIs against Rodriguez in his career.
–Field Level Media
