Diamondbacks expected to reinstate Ketel Marte, slot him back into the middle of the order

Ketel Marte’s status with the Arizona Diamondbacks appears headed toward resolution after multiple reports indicated the club would reinstate the second baseman and return him to game action. According to Arizona Sports reporter Alex Weiner, Marte is in the lineup for the Diamondbacks and is set to bat fourth in the order tonight.

The move matters because Marte is one of Arizona’s most stable everyday pieces. As a middle-infield presence who also contributes as a hitter, reinstating him restores more than just a roster slot. It reshapes the lineup’s balance, affects run-scoring sequences across multiple at-bats, and reduces strain on the team’s remaining lineup options.

Arizona has not, as of the reporting, issued an official announcement confirming the roster change in a release or transaction record. Still, the plan described in the reporting points to a straightforward path: Marte would be reinstated from the injured list and made available immediately, rather than remaining in a waiting window.

MLB Trade Rumors also notes that other members of the local media previously indicated Marte was expected to come off the injured list. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic is cited as having reported that expectation earlier, reinforcing that the current lineup information aligns with longer-running team chatter.

In the near term, the practical question is how quickly Marte can settle back into regular at-bats. Even when a player returns cleanly from the injured list, timing, pitch selection, and protection decisions by the manager often shift in the first game or two of action. Batting fourth is a role that typically requires a hitter to handle both high-leverage situations and the responsibility of driving runners set up by the top of the order.

For Arizona, the operational benefit is continuity. If the reinstatement holds, the Diamondbacks can keep their lineup from being reshuffled again in response to absences. That is especially relevant late in the season, when managers often prefer to reduce uncertainty and keep defensive alignment and hitting order as consistent as possible.

The Diamondbacks’ next steps will determine how firm the return is, since roster decisions in-season can evolve based on day-to-day health and final confirmation from club communications. The clearest follow-up will be whether the team’s official transaction record matches the reported lineup and whether Marte remains in the same spot in subsequent games.