A fan who shouted offensive remarks about Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte’s late mother during Tuesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox has been banned indefinitely from all Major League Baseball ballparks, a source confirmed to Fox News Digital.
The 22-year-old fan reportedly admitted to the taunt and expressed remorse, according to ESPN. The comments targeted Marte’s mother, Elpidia Valdez, who tragically died in a 2017 car crash in the Dominican Republic. Marte, visibly emotional, was seen in tears following the incident.
MLB released a brief statement, commending the Chicago White Sox for taking swift action to remove the individual but declined to specify what was said:
“We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan,” MLB told Fox News Digital.
During Wednesday’s rematch between the two teams, the White Sox displayed a scoreboard message in the first inning that read:
“Baseball is Family: The White Sox community supports Ketel Marte.”
The emotional impact on Marte was evident. In the seventh inning of Tuesday’s game, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo noticed Marte was overcome and consoled him on the mound during a pitching change, placing his arm around the second baseman.
“It was a terrible moment. Fans are nasty. Fans go too far,” Lovullo told reporters after the game.
“I could see he was sobbing. It hurt. I just reacted as a dad would.”
Lovullo said he reassured Marte that he wasn’t alone and referred to the fan as “an idiot.”
Teammate Geraldo Perdomo, who spoke out forcefully after the game, called for action:
“That can’t happen. We can’t continue to do that … here in MLB.”
Marte chose not to speak publicly on the incident, according to a team official.
Despite the emotional turmoil, Marte delivered a strong performance, going 2-for-4 at the plate and hitting a solo home run in the first inning to put the Diamondbacks ahead 1–0.
The two-time All-Star is having a standout season. Through 52 games, he holds a .316 batting average with 14 home runs and 31 RBIs.
