The New York Mets have been the best team in baseball over the last few weeks. Having Edwin Diaz back as their closer and looking like his old self certainly has helped. But, they are going to be without him for the next 10 games.
Edwin Diaz is facing a 10-game ban after he was ejected from the team’s game on Sunday night against the Chicago Cubs. Before he took the mound to pitch the ninth inning, he was thrown out by crew chief Vic Carapazza for having an illegal substance on his hand.
“I touched his hand,” Carapazza said in a pool report after the game. “Grabbed his hand. The substance was extremely sticky. Discolored … it definitely wasn’t rosin and sweat. We’ve checked thousands of these. I know what that feeling is. This was very sticky.”
There were no other sticky substances on Edwin Diaz, as his belt and glove were also checked. But, the sticky substance on his hand was enough to warrant an ejection, Carapazza said.
Outside of rosin, Major League Baseball has cracked down in recent years on substances pitchers use to help get a grip on the baseball. Diaz claims that rosin, sweat and dirt were the only things he used on his hand, which is a common practice in baseball.
“I use the same thing, always,” Edwin Diaz said. “I rub rosin, sweat and I put my hand in the dirt a little bit so I can have some grip on the ball. … I was really surprised because I didn’t have anything on my hand, glove or belt. They always check everything.”
According to Carapazza, the New York Mets didn’t offer much of an argument against the ejection. “I told them I have a job to do,” Carapazza said. “We’re supposed to check it, and that was too sticky. I can’t ignore the substance that was on there.”
Because of the ejection, Edwin Diaz is now facing a mandatory 10-game suspension. By rule, the New York Mets will now be playing a man down for the duration of the time that their closer is suspended.
“We have to move on,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Guys are going to have to step up.”
Edwin Diaz will miss games against the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates during his suspension. It could not have come at a worse time, as the New York Mets have been on a roll and he has performed well.
Since returning from the injured list with a shoulder issue, Diaz has been great. He has pitched three straight scoreless outings, giving up only two hits and zero walks with three strikeouts.
Do you want the latest news, updates, and rumors surrounding all sports? Click here. Make sure to check out our sister sites as well: NFL Analysis Network, NBA Analysis Network, Packers Coverage.
