Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Ketel Marte went 1-for-3 with a walk in his return from the 10-day injured list (which was originally a trip to the Restricted List) in a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night. The 32-year-old saw a limited dose of action as a designated hitter, a move that was a good call by head coach Torey Lovullo after the eccentric outfielder was greeted with a loud round of boos in his return to Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.
Marte’s postgame statement should add fuel to a controversial desert fire, but the former NLCS MVP would’ve been far better served taking a page out of Alec Bohm’s playbook for handling controversy from early in the 2022 campaign.
Marte's post-game statement is the opposite of Bohm’s reaction to booing Phillies fans
While the goal was to put the controversy behind Arizona last night, Marte stirred up the hornet’s nest once again with his postgame attire selection, featuring a bright yellow trucker hat with “MAY THE BRIDGES I BURN LIGHT THE WAY” stamped across the front:
Ketel Marte’s hat choice after the game is something.
— Nick King (@NickKingSports) September 1, 2026
He said he didn’t expect the boos from the home crowd, and also that he didn’t understand the question before the game about delivering a message to fans. pic.twitter.com/p2kb5PjtSk
Much like when Bohm was caught on camera saying he “[bleeping] hates this place” about Philadelphia back in 2022, a player embroiled in controversy will have to face the media (and through them, the fans), and how that player responds can have a dramatic impact on his perceived perception in his adopted hometown during the MLB season.
Bohm owned his mistake four years ago, apologized for his momentary outburst of frustration, and was rewarded with a Phillies special, a standing ovation for a player who correctly handled a tough situation.
On the West Coast, Marte appears to be doing everything in his power to slither away from the organization in Arizona as quickly as possible. According to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com, he apologized for his “moment of frustration” via translator Alex Arpiza. However, his actions following last night’s loss leave way too much to be discussed for a player who decided “not to show up” for his team during a late-summer playoff race.
John Gambadoro, a longtime afternoon sports radio host in Phoenix, and Alex Weiner, the Diamondbacks beat reporter for ArizonaSports.com, combined notes to craft a running timeline for an article detailing the Marte distraction in Arizona dating back to the 2023 season.
According to Weiner and Gambadoro’s report from ArizonaSports.com, Marte did not appear at Yankee Stadium for a late-September contest in the 2023 season, and he sat out a game in the final week of the 2024 regular season. In 2025, he elected to sit out the Diamondbacks' final game before the 2025 All-Star Game, but still participated in the 2025 Mid-Summer Classic on the East Coast in Atlanta, Georgia. The incident in 2026 marks the fourth consecutive season that Arizona will need to navigate some type of controversy surrounding the three-time All-Star.
While Bohm’s performance in Philadelphia brought all types of emotions to the surface a few seasons ago, he stood up and handled the firestorm head-on to put the situation behind him. Marte had the chance to start the same process last night, but opted to create more shockwaves that will inevitably keep the focus away from the main thing: the Diamondbacks' quest to secure a final N.L. Wild Card spot over the final month of the season. We’ll just have to wait and see if there are any additional pointed messages from the polarizing outfielder while the Phillies are still in town over the next two days.
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