After a disappointing first half of the season the Arizona Diamondbacks have caught fire. The team has played its way back into the postseason picture and surged up to number six in the most recent MLB Power Rankings.

The Diamondbacks have continued their winning ways despite injuries to All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte and Gold Glove first baseman Christian Walker. Marte landed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained ankle on August 18 while Walker has been sidelined for a month with a left oblique strain.

Arizona could have both players back in the lineup soon. The team is targeting the start of its three-game series against the San Francisco Giants on September 3 for their return, per Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro on X.

Marte first injured his ankle in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on August 10 when his left leg got awkwardly pinned in a slide by catcher Garrett Stubbs. He then reaggravated the sprain while pinch hitting against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The 10-year veteran has been one of the Diamondbacks’ best players, slashing .298/.370/.560 with 30 home runs, 81 RBI and 81 runs scored. Marte has an OPS+ of 156 and 6.0 bWAR in 116 games so far for Arizona and he made his second-career All-Star Game this season.

Ketel Marte is a difference maker for the Diamondbacks

Aug 9, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second base Ketel Marte (4) hits a single against the Philadelphia Phillies in the eighth inning at Chase Field.
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While Marte leads the Diamondbacks with 30 home runs, Walker is second on the team with 23. The two-time Gold Glove-winner was forced to leave a game against the Washington Nationals on July 29 with oblique tightness. He’s posted a .815 OPS, an OPS+ of 125 and 2.4 bWAR in 107 games for the Diamondbacks this season.

After winning the National League Pennant last year, Arizona got off to a slow start in 2024. However, the team has been hot of late. Entering play on Wednesday, the Diamondbacks are 26-9 since returning from the All-Star break. That’s tied for the best record in baseball during that span.

The second-half surge has the Diamondbacks just three games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Unfortunately for Arizona, the San Diego Padres have also gone 26-9 since the Midsummer Classic and they’re also three games behind LA. Additionally, at 22-13, the Dodgers have the third-best record since the All-Star break.

While the Diamondbacks haven’t been able to overtake Los Angeles in the division, the team is tied with the Padres for the top Wild Card berth. Adding Marte and Walker back to the lineup in time for the postseason stretch run could be exactly what Arizona needs to lock down a playoff spot and make another run at a championship.

Last season the Diamondbacks landed the third Wild Card berth and made a surprise run to the World Series, where they lost in five games to the Texas Rangers.