PHOENIX (AP) — Ketel Marte is having one of the best seasons of his career on the field.
That hasn't stopped a fair amount of criticism for the Arizona Diamondbacks slugger off of it.
The All-Star second baseman apologized through an interpreter Monday for missing three games following the All-Star break after flying back to his home in the Dominican Republic — a situation that has apparently been festering in the clubhouse over the past month.
The 31-year-old said he initially expected to return to Phoenix immediately following the break but was “frustrated” and “in a bad spot” after he learned his residence in Scottsdale, Arizona, had been burglarized during the break, according to the interpreter.
The D-backs were playing a crucial stretch of games — fighting for playoff position ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. Arizona placed Marte on the restricted list for the first two games of his absence and then didn't play a third game after he returned to the club.
“I know there's an elephant in the room and I'll just say what I want to say about it,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “I know that Ketel talked to you guys and I'm proud of him for doing that. That's not easy for him to do. I know he showed some vulnerability and I'm really proud of him for digging in the way that he did.”
The manager continued: “What I'll say about Ketel are the things that I know — he's a great teammate, he's a great young man, he plays hard every single day for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He just wants to win baseball games. That's it.”
Marte has dealt with a torrent of criticism after a report in the Arizona Republic last week said that some teammates were frustrated with the second baseman's behavior over the past month and that his absence following the All-Star break might have partially caused the team's collapse prior to the trade deadline.
The D-backs came into the season with high expectations but currently have a 60-65 record.
Arizona actually won the three games Marte missed after the All-Star break — sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals — but then lost nine of 10 when he returned to the lineup.
That turned the organization into sellers at the trade deadline. They sent third baseman Eugenio Suárez and first baseman Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners in separate deals, outfielder Randal Grichuk to the Kansas City Royals and right-hander Merrill Kelly to the Texas Rangers.
Marte is having a terrific all-around offensive season, batting .297 with 23 homers and 56 RBIs. The three-time All-Star has been with the organization since 2017 and was a key piece to the team's unexpected run to the World Series in 2023.
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Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, back, throws over Colorado Rockies' Kyle Karros after forcing him out at second base on the front end of a double play hit into by Brenton Doyle in the second inning of a baseball game Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte pops out to Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Juan Mejia to end a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
NEW YORK (AP) — Thursday was the final day to select an Affordable Care Act health insurance plan across much of the country, as the expiration of federal subsidies drives up health costs and lawmakers remain locked in a debate over how to address the issue.
That's when the open enrollment window ends in most states for plans that start in February. About 10 states that run their own marketplaces have later deadlines, or have extended them to the end of the month to give their residents more time.
The date is a crucial one for millions of small business owners, gig workers, farmers, ranchers and others who don't get their health insurance from a job and therefore rely on marketplace plans. A record 24 million Americans purchased Affordable Care Act health plans last year.
But this year, their decisions over health coverage have been more difficult than usual as clarity over how much it will cost is hard to come by. And so far, enrollment is lagging behind last year's numbers — with about 22.8 million Americans having signed up so far, according to federal data.
Last year, for months, it was unclear whether Congress would allow for the end-of-year expiration of COVID-era expanded subsidies that had offset costs for more than 90% of enrollees. Democrats forced a record-long government shutdown over the issue, but still couldn't get a deal done. So the subsidies expired Jan. 1, leaving the average subsidized enrollee with more than double the monthly premium costs for 2026, according to an analysis from the health care nonprofit KFF.
Still, the question of whether Congress would resurrect the tax credits loomed over Washington. Several enrollees told The Associated Press they have either delayed signing up for coverage or signed up with a plan to cancel as they anxiously watch what's happening on Capitol Hill.
Last week, the House passed a three-year extension of the subsidies after 17 Republicans joined with Democrats against the wishes of Republican leaders. But the Senate rejected a similar bill last year.
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has been leading a bipartisan group of 12 senators trying to devise a compromise and said this week that he expects to have a proposal by the end of the month. The contours of the senators’ bipartisan plan involves a two-year deal that would extend the enhanced subsidies while adding new limits on who can receive them. The proposal would also create the option, in the second year, of a new health savings account that President Donald Trump and Republicans prefer.
Under the deal being discussed, the ACA open enrollment period would be extended to March 1 of this year to allow people more time to figure out their coverage plans after the disruption.
Still, Republicans and Democrats say they have not completed the plan, and the two sides have yet to agree if there should be new limits on whether states can use separate funds for abortion coverage.
President Donald Trump on Thursday announced outlines of a plan he wants Congress to consider that would. It would, among other things, redirect ACA subsidies into health savings accounts that go directly to consumers. Democrats have largely rebuffed this idea as inadequate for offsetting health costs for most people.
Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Mascaro contributed from Washington.
FILE - Pages from the U.S. Affordable Care Act health insurance website healthcare.gov are seen on a computer screen in New York, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)
