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Edwin Diaz of the Mets ejected during foreign substance check against Cubs
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    Edwin Diaz of the Mets ejected during foreign substance check against Cubs

    Edwin Diaz’s roller coaster 2024 season continued Sunday night when he was ejected for having an illegal foreign substance on him as he entered in a save opportunity against the Chicago Cubs.

    The New York Mets closer came into the game with a 5-2 lead and was checked by the umpire crew, including crew chief Vic Carapazza, who ejected Diaz for what appeared to be a sticky substance on his pitching hand and glove.

    “I just said ‘I use the same thing, always,’” Diaz told reporters post-game of what he said to umpires on the field. “I rub rosin, sweat and I put my hand in the dirt a little bit because I need some grip on the ball. So that’s what I was explaining to them, but they said it was more (sticky).

    “I understood, but at the end of the day, I was using rosin, sweat and put my hand in the dirt.”

    Despite Diaz’s claims, Carapazza had different thoughts after the game.

    “It definitely wasn’t rosin and sweat,” he told a pool reporter. “We’ve checked thousands of these. I know what that feeling is. This was very sticky.”

    Diaz owns a 4.70 ERA and seven saves this season over 23.0 innings. The Puerto Rico native was one of the most dominant relievers in baseball in 2022 but missed all of 2023 after tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee during the World Baseball Classic.

    The 30-year-old lost the closer job in New York earlier this year as he struggled to finish games. Diaz has four blown saves in 11 opportunities for the Mets.

    Diaz will now face a 10-game suspension as a result of the ejection. He will have the option to appeal the decision.

    “The rules are the rules and they made the decision to throw him out,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game.

    Houston Astros starter Ronel Blanco was the last pitcher to be ejected for having a foreign substance on his glove. He was suspended for the 10 games and fined am undisclosed amount after choosing not to appeal the decision.

    When a player is suspended for use of a foreign substance, their team is not allowed to replace them on the 26-man roster while they serve their suspension.

    MLB started cracking down on the use of “sticky stuff” in 2021, ramping up its enforcement of the rules preventing pitchers from using it.

    Since then, pitchers such as Blanco, Max Scherzer, Robert Suarez, Domingo German and others have been ejected in-game after routine checks by umpires.

    New York has won 10 of 13 and is 13-6 in June and might need to find a temporary closer for the next two weeks. The Mets begin a two-game series against the visiting Yankees on Tuesday before hosting Houston for three games.

    “Look, we’ve been through a lot this year,” Mendoza said. “We’ll find a way to get through it, you know? We’ll continue to piece it together and, yeah, guys are going to have to step up. And I’m pretty confident that we’ll get guys here that are going to be able to get us to the finish line when he’s out.”

    — with files from Associated Press

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    In a surprising turn of events during a recent game between the New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs, Mets pitcher Edwin Diaz was ejected from the game after umpires found a foreign substance on his neck during a routine check.

    The incident occurred in the eighth inning of the game, with the Mets leading 3-2. As Diaz was preparing to pitch, umpires noticed something suspicious on his neck and immediately called for a foreign substance check. Upon inspection, it was discovered that Diaz had a sticky substance on his neck, which is against Major League Baseball’s rules.

    Diaz was immediately ejected from the game, much to the dismay of Mets fans and players. The ejection came as a shock, as Diaz has been a key player for the Mets this season, with an impressive 2.45 ERA and 14 saves.

    Foreign substance checks have become more common in recent years, as MLB cracks down on pitchers using illegal substances to gain an advantage on the mound. The use of sticky substances can increase a pitcher’s spin rate, making their pitches more difficult to hit.

    After the game, Diaz issued a statement apologizing for the incident, stating that he had inadvertently come into contact with the sticky substance while applying sunscreen in between innings. He expressed regret for the situation and vowed to be more careful in the future.

    The Mets went on to lose the game to the Cubs, with a final score of 6-3. The ejection of Diaz undoubtedly had an impact on the outcome of the game, as the Mets were forced to rely on their bullpen to close out the game without their star closer.

    Overall, the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of following MLB’s rules and regulations, and the consequences that can come from breaking them. It also highlights the ongoing debate surrounding foreign substances in baseball and the measures being taken to ensure fair play on the field.