PHILADELPHIA -- Torey Lovullo wanted to hear directly from his All-Star second baseman how his injury rehab was going, so last week he gave Ketel Marte a call.
“How are you?” the D-backs manager asked.
Earlier in the day, Marte had played in an extended spring game at Salt River Fields.
“I remember that day when Torey called me,” Marte said. “He asked me how I feel, and at that time I just finished hitting two homers in the game and I told him, ‘I’m ready!’ My hamstring felt good about 10 days after [the injury] happened, and we just continued to treat my hamstring and get it strong.”
Marte, who had been out since April 4 after injuring his left hamstring during Arizona’s series opener in Washington, was activated from the IL on Friday prior to Arizona's 3-2 loss to the Phillies. Marte went 1-for-4 with a leadoff single in his return.
“He's so funny,” Lovullo said. “He's got such a great sense of humor. He said, ‘I'm ready. I just hit two home runs and a line drive off the center-field wall, and I can't be any better, so let's get this done right now.’ And I told him, ‘We got to make sure that you do other things, so let's slow it down and you'll be fine.’”
The last test for Marte was playing defense for five innings, which he did Wednesday. For now, Marte won’t play every day, and Lovullo has asked him to be smart when it comes to how hard he runs to first base on routine grounders to the infield.
Outfielder Jorge Barrosa was optioned to Triple-A Reno to make room for Marte.
Getting Marte back is a big boost for the D-backs, as they are in the midst of a tough stretch of their schedule. They recently played the Braves and Mets, and after the series with the Phillies, they head home to face the Mets again before playing the Dodgers and Giants.
Outfielder Corbin Carroll is obviously a huge part of Arizona's offense, but GM Mike Hazen has said for years that the club is at its best when Marte, who finished third in the NL MVP voting last year, is hitting.
Marte did not go out on a rehab assignment to one of the team’s Minor League affiliates and instead participated in extended spring games.
“I got like 20, 25 at-bats,” Marte said.
Does he feel like he’s in a good spot at the plate?
“I think so, I hit like seven homers,” Marte said with a smile.
Marte never lacks for confidence, and he was in good humor being back around his teammates Friday.
“That’s me,” he said when asked how he was able to stay sharp at the plate. “Not too surprising. I just feel good, and I went out there and worked hard on everything, every day. I got there at 10 a.m. every day and got my work in.”
Lovullo said that Marte would send him videos of his hits and voice messages during his rehab.
“It was almost like he was playing Nintendo and hitting a home run every at-bat,” Lovullo said.
There is never a good time for an injury, but Marte’s was particularly unfortunate, as it came just days after he inked a contract extension through 2031. The deal was worth $116.5 million, with $46 million in deferred money that will help the D-backs get some salary relief in the short term, including $5 million this year.
The deal, which includes an opt-out after the 2030 season, adds $64 million in guaranteed money to Marte's existing contract.
“It was frustrating, obviously, after I got the good news about the extension and all that,” Marte said. “But you know, as a player, you have to understand that there's stuff that happens that you don't control, and I’m just optimistic now that I’m back.”