Fan Ejected After Heckling Ketel Marte at Game

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was brought to tears during his seventh-inning at-bat against the Chicago White Sox after a fan heckled him about his late mother, Elpidia Valdez, who died in a 2017 car accident. The incident visibly affected Marte and led manager Torey Lovullo and bench coach Jeff Banister to request the fan's ejection, which was carried out by security. Lovullo publicly consoled Marte and condemned the behavior, while teammate Geraldo Perdomo and others called for Major League Baseball to impose a ban on the fan and take stronger action against such misconduct. Marte, who had homered earlier in the game and is enjoying a standout season, declined to comment afterward. The incident intensified debate over player protection and fan conduct in MLB. The Diamondbacks won the game 4-1.