CHICAGO -- A 22-year-old fan has been banned indefinitely from Rate Field after yelling something about Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte's late mother during Tuesday night's game against the Chicago White Sox, the team told ESPN on Wednesday morning.
Marte, 31, was visibly upset after the incident which occurred while he was at-bat in the seventh inning. Marte's mother, Elpidia Valdez, died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic in 2017.
Team personnel, including manager Torey Lovullo, heard the comment and asked for the fan to be ejected. According to a source familiar with the situation, the fan was remorseful for his actions, admitting to his inappropriate comments.
Marte declined comment after the game on Tuesday. It's not publicly known what the fan said to upset the 11-year veteran.
It's not the first incident this season of a fan yelling something inappropriate at a player on the field.
In April, a fan in Cleveland yelled at Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran after the player admitted in a documentary that he attempted suicide three years ago. The fan was ejected and banned from the ballpark after that incident as well.
The Diamondbacks and White Sox play each other in the series finale on Wednesday afternoon with the Diamondbacks going for the sweep.
