It was a regular Tuesday night game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Chicago White Sox on June 24, 2025, when Ketel Marte walked up to the plate during the seventh inning. But within moments, viewers at home saw the 31-year-old MLB athlete shake his head while turning to look at a fan in the stands — then breaking down in tears. The heckler was ejected from the game, and the D-backs rallied around Marte as he cried. It turned out that the fan said cruel remarks about Marte’s late mother, who died in 2017.
Find out everything that happened to Marte, who the fan was and how the incident was handled below.
White Sox fans please give Ketel Marte a standing ovation tomorrow pic.twitter.com/pWu4usrDdc
— bson (@bsonnn4) June 25, 2025
Who Was the Fan Banned for Heckling Ketel Marte?
The identity of the fan has not been disclosed by the time of publication. The only known detail is that the person is a 22-year-old white man.
What Did the Fan Say to Ketel Marte?
@smartasskris #ketelmarte #diamondbacks #MLB #heckler #ejected #ratefield #chicago #whitesox #whitesoxbaseball #dbacksbaseball #ketelmarteupset #espn #barstoolsports #foxsports #benverlander
D-backs Manager Torey Lovullo said he heard what the fan said to Marte about his mother but did not want to repeat it, according to AZCentral.
According to the White Sox, the heckler was “very apologetic and remorseful” after he was ejected from the game and admitted that the comments he made were inappropriate.
What Happened to Ketel Marte’s Mother?
In 2017, Marte’s late mom, Elpidia Valdez, died in a car accident, per MyStateline.com. At the time, the baseball player returned to the Dominican Republic to grieve with his family. He was placed on the bereavement list, and D-backs team president and CEO Derrick Hall said in a statement that they were “deeply saddened by the news [they] received last night regarding Ketel’s mother.”
“We consider every member of our organization part of our immediate family, and our thoughts and prayers are with Ketel as he deals with this unimaginable tragedy,” Hall added, per the MLB’s website.
Is the Banned Fan Facing Legal or Criminal Consequences?
No, the unidentified heckler is not facing legal or criminal consequences from either the White Sox, the Diamondbacks or the MLB. He has just been banned from all MLB stadiums, games and other associated events for life.
The way the MLB enforces a ban is by adding a person to a banned list and possibly using facial recognition technology. However, it’s still unclear how every MLB team enforces the lifetime ban.
What MLB, the White Sox & the Diamondbacks Said About the Incident
We’re with you, @ketel_marte4 🫶 pic.twitter.com/1F7j5fFz8K
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) June 25, 2025
White Sox manager Will Venable said that the incident with the heckling fan was “really unfortunate,” according to the MLB. He added that “no players should ever have to be subjected to that kind of stuff from fans. I sent my apologies over to them last night, and I know a number of us have. [We] apologize again for what is not representative of how our fans behave, and just something that no players should be subjected to.”
The White Sox stood behind Marte by placing banners on the right and left field of their stadium that read, “Baseball is family. The White Sox community supports Ketel Marte.” The team also tweeted a photo of Marte and the banner and wrote, “We’re with you, [Ketel Marte].”
For the MLB’s part, the organization said, “We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan.”
D-backs Manager Lovullo said in a post-game interview with Diamondbacks reporter Todd Walsh that it was a “terrible moment,” and that he loves his players and is “going to protect them.”
Here’s the initial explanation from @Dbacks Manager Torey Lovullo re the incident in Chicago where a @whitesox fan verbally abused Ketel Marte. pic.twitter.com/UZnwssmxfz
— Todd Walsh (@ToddWalsh) June 25, 2025
“I’ve known Ketel for nine years, and he’s had some unbelievably great moments and some hardships, as well, and some really, really tough moments in his life,” the manager added. “And I know those. At the end of the day, we’re human beings and we have emotions. I saw him hurting, and I wanted to protect him.”
He also recalled the moment when he ran up to Marte to comfort him on the field. “[I told him], ‘I love you, and I’m with you and we’re all together and you’re not alone,’” Lovullo said. “’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.’”
How Ketel Marte Responded to the Heckling Incident
At the time of publication, Marte has not released a statement about the incident. After the fan made the cruel comments, Marte was seen in tears and walking away while his teammates and manager came to his side.