Marte placed on restricted list after home burglary during All-Star break

PHOENIX -- As the Diamondbacks open the second half of the season hoping that a strong homestand against the Cardinals and Astros will make them buyers and not sellers at the upcoming Trade Deadline, they will be without All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte, who was placed on the restricted list Friday.

Marte’s home in the Phoenix area was burglarized while he was away at the All-Star Game, and Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo intimated that was the reason that Marte asked him for a “couple of days” off.

“He asked for some time off, time away, just to get grounded and get himself back to where he can come back here and play and be a force,” Lovullo said. “So it’s kind of a day-to-day situation. I’ve had limited contact with him.”

After suffering a major spate of injuries in the first half of the season, the Diamondbacks opened the second half on the periphery of the NL Wild Card race. They are 5 1/2 games out, but have four teams to leapfrog.

GM Mike Hazen has not committed to buying or selling yet at the deadline, and how the Diamondbacks do over the next week could go a long way toward swaying him.

Marte was placed on the restricted list because without him, the Diamondbacks are short infielders, so they needed to clear a roster spot. They signed veteran free-agent infielder Sergio Alcantara and added him to the roster.

Alcantara has played in one game for the Giants this season and has spent 68 games with their Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento.

Players on the restricted list remain under contractual control of the Major League club they play for. But they are no longer with the club, and they are no longer mandated to receive compensation.

In Tuesday's All-Star Game, Marte’s double off Tarik Skubal drove in a pair of National League runs.

The 31-year-old Marte has a .290/.394/.567 slash line with 19 home runs in 68 games this season. He missed about a month after injuring his hamstring on April 4.

Prior to the team’s optional workout on Thursday, Lovullo said he hoped those who burglarized Marte’s house will eventually be caught.

“We all know what he's dealing with,” Lovullo said, referring to the burglary. “It's been unfortunate. I think he retreats a little bit when he gets upset, and I respect that space, and I'm going to give him that space.”

The timing of Marte’s absence is obviously unfortunate, but Lovullo said the human aspect of it has to come first.

“He's a great baseball player, and when he's in the lineup, he can impact the game in a bunch of different ways,” Lovullo said. “But I'm very respectful of the position he's in right now. I would love it if he was here, but he's not, and we just have to deal with the circumstances.”

Also Friday, the Diamondbacks recalled catcher Adrian Del Castillo from Triple-A Reno while placing catcher Gabriel Moreno on the 60-day injured list. Moreno has a hairline fracture in his right hand from being hit by a pitch on June 6.

Right-handed pitcher Trevor Richards was selected from Reno, and infielder Tristin English was optioned to Triple-A.