Diamondbacks Place Ketel Marte On Injured Lis

The Diamondbacks announced that second baseman has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left ankle. Infielder/outfielder has been recalled as the corresponding move. Marte has been battling an ankle injury for over a week now. Last Saturday, when playing the Phillies, catcher slid into second while trying for a hustle double. Marte received the throw coming in from left field and tried to apply a tag to Stubbs when the two collided but his leg got stuck awkwardly underneath the Philly catcher ( ). Arizonas second baseman was removed from that game in obvious pain but has tried to play through the injury since then. He was in the lineup for last Mondays game but appeared to be in pain again and was removed from that contest. He then mi sed a few George Hill Jersey days but returned to the lineup on Saturday, serving as the designated hitter. Yesterday, he wasnt in the starting lineup but entered as a pinch-hitter but appeared to aggravate his injury on a check swing and was removed before finishing his at-bat. After those failed attempts to stay on the field, he will now spend at least ten days on the shelf. Manager Torey Lovullo doesnt seem too concerned, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com , saying that they believe its a low-grade sprain and that Marte just needs some rest. Whether he needs to mi s more than the 10-day minimum or not remains to be seen, but its a huge blow to the Diamondbacks regardle s as Marte has been putting himself into the MVP conversation with a stellar season. Marte has 30 home runs this year and a 10.4% walk rate, while limiting his strikeouts to a 17.8% clip. His .298/.370/.560 batting line translates to a 152 wRC+, indicating hes been 52% better than league average at the plate. Only ten qualified major leaguers have a better mark than that this year. Hes also stolen six bases and received strong grades for his defense at the keystone. Only six players have more wins above replacement than his 5.4 this year, per FanGraphs. and are the only two National League players ahead of him there. Subtracting that kind of production would hurt any team, but the Snakes also have and on the injured list at the moment, meaning they head into this week without three of their best regulars. The Dbacks have been playing very well of late and currently sport a record of 69-56. They are only four games back of the Dodgers in the West and have po se sion of the second National League Wild Card spot, but teams like Atlanta, the Mets and others are in striking distance. The Snakes will be trying to stay ahead of that pack in the coming weeks but will be doing so without Marte, Walker or Moreno on the roster, and its unclear when any of those three could be returning to the club. has been playing a lot of second base in Martes stead in the past week and may continue doing so. Hes a solid defender but has hit .262/.305/.361 in his career for a 78 wRC+. His .281/.314/.382 batting line this year is slightly better but still translates to a subpar 92 wRC+. Smiths recall is likely just about giving the club an extra bat, as hes only played first base and the outfield in his career. is likely the clubs current backup at the three positions to the left of first base, supporting Newman, and . Hamidou Diallo Jersey