Dodgers’ Former All-Star, World Series Champion Has NSFW Reaction For Ketel Marte Casino Trip
The Los Angeles Dodgers maintain their dominant lead in the NL West, while rivals like the Arizona Diamondbacks struggle to keep pace. D-backs star Ketel Marte, sidelined on the 10-day injured list with knee inflammation, has sparked controversy after video emerged of him gambling at a local casino during Friday night's crucial game. His team was fighting for a Wild Card spot, just one game out. Former Dodgers World Series champion Alex Wood sharply criticized Marte on social media, labeling his actions "a–hole behavior" and questioning his character. Wood's comments carry weight given his history. While the Diamondbacks state Marte is free to act as he wishes off-site if rehab is completed, his absence during this critical period remains a significant point of contention.
The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the season as the odds-on favorite to capture a third straight World Series title, and they haven’t seen much competition from the National League West division.
The Dodgers enjoy a significant division lead, even though the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks all entered the year hoping to mount a real challenge.
Instead, things haven’t worked out as hoped for by those rivals, and the Diamondbacks in particular are dealing with some off-field disappointment as questions surrounding star infielder Ketel Marte swirl.
Marte unexpectedly missed a game in Boston earlier this week, then was placed on the restricted list and subsequently moved to the 10-day injured list after an MRI revealed inflammation in his left knee. With Arizona fighting to remain in the National League Wild Card race, his absence became an increasingly prominent storyline.
Now, video of Marte at a local casino during Friday night's Diamondbacks game has added another layer to the saga.
“The lingering Ketel Marte no-show saga has taken another strange twist — this one apparently involving a roulette table,” Marc Carig wrote for The Athletic. “Video emerged on social media of the injured Marte gambling at a local casino on Friday night near the team’s complex at Salt River Fields. At the same time, across town at Chase Field, his teammates on the Arizona Diamondbacks continued fighting for a postseason berth without him.”
That development prompted a former Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star and World Series champion to offer a particularly blunt assessment.
Alex Wood, who pitched for the Dodgers for five seasons, did not hold back when reacting to the situation on X.
“No one on the Dbacks will say it bc he’s their franchise player but being 1 game out of the wild card and Ketel Marte being at the casino during their game last night is a–hole behavior,” Wood wrote. “Tells you everything you need to know about him.”
The timing makes the situation especially difficult to ignore. Arizona entered Friday just one game behind the San Diego Padres for the National League's final Wild Card spot, making every game increasingly important.
And Wood's perspective carries some added weight because of his own history in Los Angeles, and with the San Francisco Giants.
Wood's best season came in 2017 with the Dodgers, when he went 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA and earned the only All-Star selection of his career.
After spending 2019 with the Cincinnati Reds, Wood then returned to Los Angeles for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and helped the Dodgers win their first World Series since 1988. He pitched four scoreless innings during the Dodgers' six-game championship victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
That championship history within the National League West makes Wood’s comments notable, but the Diamondbacks have offered a somewhat different perspective. The team has said that Marte is free to do what he wants away from the team's facility as long as he completes his rehabilitation responsibilities, though nobody seems happy with his sudden absence during the final leg of the season.