A pensive, and somewhat somber Torey Lovullo sat down in front of the Chase Field press contingent to answer questions about the Ketel Marte situation on Friday afternoon. The mercurial star kicked off a crisis within the organization when he failed to report to Fenway Park in Boston on Monday, and the team did not release the lineup until the last minute, with Marte unavailable. Marte was placed on the restricted list at that moment.While Lovullo addressed the media post game in an emotional press conference, days of mystery and speculation followed. Finally, following an MRI on Thursday Marte was placed on the 10-day injured list due to right knee inflammation. Injury, Frustration and Feelings of Betrayal for Lovullo and MarteJul 5, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo against the Milwaukee Brewers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectWhen asked what caused Marte not to show up, Lovullo answered directly: "I think maybe a little bit of frustration built around the injury. At some point, I'm hopeful he'll be able to explain that directly to you guys." When he appeared before the media on Monday evening, an obviously distraught Lovullo broke down in tears. While there was concern for the player's well-being, those were tears of frustration. "I was clearly hurting and once I saw what was unfolding I became extremely frustrated and I felt betrayed, and that's that's a whole different type of pain and frustration. But I'm through that," Lovullo said. Lovullo has repeatedly stood up for Marte throughout the years, giving him days off whenever the player requested. When Marte signed a contract extension with the Diamondbacks on April 2, 2025, that dynamic factored heavily into agreeing to an under-market contract with $46 million in deferred payments. “We came to the organization around the same time,” said Marte at the time. “I feel like at this point that Torey understands me really well physically. If I need an off-day, I don’t have to talk much; Torey does a good job of feeling that and giving me a day. I don’t want to lose what I’ve earned with Torey so far.”Asked if Marte feels like he lost that feeling at some point, Lovullo said, "Potentially. I consider him one of 26 players that I have to manage and at times everybody has their own set of challenges, and things have their own personality. But I need to probably communicate a little bit better."The Sit-DownAug 10, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte against the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectLovullo referred to the meeting at Salt River Fields that took place along with Marte, his agent, and General Manager Mike Hazen on Thursday as a "sit-down." After all that happened, he clearly had some things to get off his chest. "I got a chance to say what I wanted to say and that was important to me," Lovullo said."There's right ways to handle things and wrong ways to handle things and I think the conclusion that was drawn up yesterday is that we could have been better and Ketel [Marte] could have been better specifically and admittedly so."The manager also emphasized that his own communication with Marte might have been lacking, adding to the player's frustration. He also went out of his way to point out that Marte has played in a lot of games this year and has been "busting hard." Marte had played the third-most games of any Diamondbacks player prior to his absence.Moving ForwardAug 16, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) runs to the dugout during the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectLovullo is hopeful that in 11 days when he's eligible to come off the injured list, Marte will rejoin the team and help them make the playoffs over the final month of the season. Marte will be expected to speak with his teammates upon his return and give them some sort of explanation for what happened. How that is received inside the clubhouse remains to be seen. Some players seem more inclined to be accepting and supportive than others. There is no denying the potential for a schism over this episode. Winning cures almost everything, however. Making the playoffs will soothe a lot of hurt feelings. It may even save a job or two. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow