Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte on injured list after aggravating sprained ankle

MIAMI (AP) — After avoiding the injured list for eight days as he played with a sprained left ankle, Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte was removed from the active roster Monday.

The Diamondbacks placed Marte on the 10-day injured list before the start of their three-game series at Miami.

The 30-year-old Marte first injured the ankle against Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 10. The Phillies’ Garrett Stubs rolled into him in a headfirst slide at second base.

Marte sat out three games before he aggravated the injury while pinch hitting against Tampa Bay on Sunday. He was the designated hitter on Saturday, when he singled and walked in four plate appearances against the Rays.

“Ketel needs some time down,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Monday. “He was trying to gut it out and just aggravated that ankle sprain. Hopefully it will be as short as stint as possible.”

Marte began Monday third on the National League with 30 home runs and a fifth best 81 RBI over 116 games. His offensive production has helped Arizona to a 69-56 record, one game behind San Diego for the top NL wild-card spot.

“Nobody really knows the timeline with Ketel,” Lovullo said. “We thought he was healthy. He showed signs he was healthy. He was taking some real high intensity practice. Talking about the force he creates and it got him.”

The Diamonds are 28-13 since the start of July but were swept in three games against the Rays before Monday’s series in Miami.

Marte has returned to Arizona and Lovullo doesn’t anticipate he will undergo additional tests.

“He just needs a little bit of time,” Lovullo said.

The Diamondbacks recalled Pavin Smith from Triple-A Reno to take Marte’s spot on the roster.

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