The MLB has banned the fan who taunted Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte in Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox.
What Happened With Ketel Marte?
Ketel Marte was in tears during the #Dbacks pitching change.
The broadcast speculated it was after he learned Ildemaro Vargas broke his foot.
Torey Lovullo came out to console him.
Heartbreaking to watch.@12SportsAZ pic.twitter.com/70EgCyE5Dh
— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) June 25, 2025
The Diamondbacks picked up a 4-1 victory over the White Sox at Rate Field on Tuesday night. However, an incident involving Marte and a fan became the biggest storyline.
During Marte’s at-bat in the seventh inning, a fan yelled a derogatory comment about his mother, who tragically died in a car accident in 2017.
The comment moved Marte to tears, as he kept staring at the fan who said it on his way back to the dugout.
During a pitching change in the next inning, Marte broke down in tears, forcing manager Torey Lovullo and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo to console their teammate.
Per ESPN, Lovullo heard the comment and asked stadium security to eject the fan. After being removed from the stadium, the fan admitted to the inappropriate comment and showed remorse.
“It was a terrible moment. Fans are nasty, and fans go too far. I love my players, and I’m going to protect them,” Lovullo said after the game via MLB.com. “I’ve known Ketel for nine years, and he’s had some unbelievably great moments and some hardships, as well. Some really, really tough moments in his life, and I know those. At the end of the day, we’re human beings and we have emotions. I saw him hurting, and I wanted to protect him.”
The Fan Who Taunted Marte Has Been Banned From All Ballparks
We stand with you, Ketel Marte 💜🖤 pic.twitter.com/0fFUbegw4A
— MLB (@MLB) June 25, 2025
The fan who taunted Marte will not be watching the MLB in person anytime soon.
After the White Sox banned the fan from Rate Field, the MLB also banned the fan from all other MLB stadiums.
The MLB, White Sox, and Diamondbacks all released statements in support of Marte.
“Really unfortunate incident,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “No players should ever have to be subjected to that kind of stuff from fans. I sent my apologies over to them last night, and I know a number of us have. [We] apologize again for what is not representative of how our fans behave, and just something that no players should be subjected to.”
During Wednesday’s game, Marte received a standing ovation at Rate Field.
The White Sox defeated the Diamondbacks on Wednesday by a score of 7-3. Marte went 0-4 with two strikeouts.
Classy move from the White Sox ahead of Ketel Marte’s first at bat.#Dbacks fans in Chicago also showing their support. pic.twitter.com/8DXBfz8fBF
— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) June 25, 2025
