D-Backs' Lovullo Rips 'Idiot' White Sox Fan for Taunt About Ketel Marte's Late Mother

A Chicago White Sox fan drew the ire of Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo for using Ketel Marte's late mother to taunt the second baseman during Tuesday's game between the two teams.

Speaking to reporters after Arizona's 4-1 win, Lovullo described the fan as an "idiot" for the comments directed at Marte.

"I could see he was sobbing. It hurt," Lovullo said of Marte. "[I told him], 'I love you and I'm with you and we're all together and you're not alone. No matter what happens, no matter what was said or what you heard, that guy is an idiot. It shouldn't have an impact on you.'"

The fan was ejected from the game and was indefinitely banned from attending White Sox home games, per ESPN's Jesse Rogers.

Marte did not speak to reporters after the game, but D-Backs shortstop Geraldo Perdomo offered support for his teammate and called on MLB to improve policing fan behavior:

"Everybody knows Ketel has fun, plays the game hard, but I feel bad for him. I feel mad about it. I don’t know who it was, but they’ve definitely got to do something. We cannot continue to do that [expletive] here in MLB. This is baseball, this is for the fans. They came here, they support us, but when they cross the line, we are not with that [expletive]."

The incident is believed to have occurred during Marte's at-bat during the top of the seventh inning. The fan was removed from the stadium by security at the request of Lovullo and Diamondbacks bench coach Jeff Banister.

Marte was in tears on the field in the bottom of the seventh inning when Lovullo embraced him during a pitching change. His mother, Elpidia Valdez, died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic in 2017.

The incident with Marte is the latest in a series of fan behavioral problems at MLB games. The San Diego Padres had to send out a reminder about their zero-tolerance policy for bad behavior during their NLDS playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers last October after an incident at Dodger Stadium in Game 2 in which fans threw baseballs in the direction of Jurickson Profar and trash on the field, causing a 12-minute delay to the game.

Earlier this season, Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran exchanged words with a Cleveland Guardians fan during a game at Progressive Field.

Duran, who previously opened up about his suicide attempt in 2022 and struggles with mental health, indicated the fan referenced those issues. The fan went to the concourse after the incident and the Guardians said they were in contact with MLB about next steps to take.

Marte is in his 11th MLB season and ninth year with the Diamondbacks. He was able to finish the game against the White Sox.