Fan banned from MLB ballparks after taunting Diamondbacks player over deceased mother

MLB officials have indefinitely banned a fan from every ballpark after he taunted Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

During the second matchup of a three-game series, the 22-year-old spectator referenced Marte’s mother, who died in a car accident in 2017. The fan has been barred from every MLB stadium indefinitely.

Marte was visibly upset during the game. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo asked stadium officials to remove the fan, which they did.

“I looked right at [Marte] when I heard,” Lovullo told the Arizona Republic. “I looked right at him and he looked at the person, as well. He put his head down and I could tell it had an immediate impact on him, for sure.”

“We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan,” MLB said in a statement.

During Wednesday’s game, the White Sox issued a message honoring Marte during the 31-year-old’s first at-bat.

“The White Sox community supports Ketel Marte,” the video board read during Chicago’s 7-3 win.

Lovullo and Marte have not repeated what the fan said, but the middle infielder appeared uneasy for the rest of Tuesday’s matchup.

“That can’t happen,” Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo told reporters. “Everybody knows how Ketel is. He’s fun. He plays the game hard. I feel bad for him. I feel mad about it. I hope MLB can do something with that guy. … He should be banned.”