MLB Star Cries During Game After Fan Heckles Him About His Mother Who Died in Car Accident

Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte had to be consoled on the field during Tuesday's game at Rate Field in Chicago after a fan reportedly heckled him about his mother, who died in a car accident in 2017.

Marte, long considered one of the good guys in all of Major League Baseball, is seen in the seventh inning balling his eyes out while Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo console him.

Marte, who hit a home run in the first inning, grew emotional during a pitching change. The Diamondbacks beat the White Sox, 4-1.

MLB broadcasters speculated that the second baseman became emotional after a teammate's injury, but according to at least two baseball reporters -- MLB's Casey Drottar and Francys Romero, who is a member of the Baseball Writer's of America Association -- later noted that Lovullo said a fan yelled something at him about his mother. MLB Insider Mike Rodriguez also matched the reporting citing sources.

It's unclear if the fan was a White Sox or Diamondbacks fan, but Marte is a beloved figure in Arizona.

Sending love to Ketel Marte who was in tears on the field after a fan yelled something at him about his mother, who passed away in a car accident in 2017, per @CDrottar19 pic.twitter.com/I14Zc1gkV1

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) June 25, 2025

Related: Diamondbacks Manager Explains Ketel Marte Crying On The Field After 'Idiot' Fan's Heckling

Marte's mother, Elpidia Valdez, died in a car crash in the Dominican Republic in 2017. 

In a strange twist, Marte was also playing in Chicago when he left the Diamondbacks to travel back to his hometown of the Dominican Republic in the wake of the deadly car crash.

In light of what unfolded Tuesday night in Chicago, Diamondbacks fans are rallying behind Marte and encouraging everyone to wear pink to honor his late mother when the team hosts the Miami Marlins this weekend at Chase Field in Phoenix.