Mets player Edwin Díaz faces a 10-game suspension after being ejected for having a foreign substance on his hand

CHICAGO – New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz faces a 10-game suspension after being ejected from the field during his team’s 5-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday night.

The right-hander entered the field in the ninth inning to secure the win for the Mets, but was ejected from the game by third base umpire Vic Carapazza after examining his glove and throwing hand before he threw a pitch.

Both Díaz and manager Carlos Mendoza said they thought the umpire had too much of a mixture of rosin, sweat and dirt on the pitcher’s throwing hand.

“Rules are rules, and they made the decision to kick him out,” Mendoza said.

Carapazza, the crew chief, said in a postgame pool report that it was “definitely not rosin and sweat” on Díaz’s hand.

“We’ve reviewed thousands of them,” Carapazza said. “I know how that feels. It was very tricky.”

Díaz, who said he was “really surprised” by the expulsion, was unsure whether he would appeal the suspension.

“I always use the same thing,” Díaz said. “I rub rosin and sweat on it and put my hand in the dirt a little bit to hold the ball.”

He is the third Mets pitcher to be ejected for such an offense in the last year.

Drew Smith, who was sent off and suspended 10 games for a similar offense last year, got two outs in place of Díaz. Then Jake Diekman came in and struck out pinch-hitter Patrick Wisdom, making his third save for the Mets, who have won four straight Series.

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

“Look, we’ve been through a lot this year,” Mendoza said. “We’re going to find a way to get through this, you know? We’re going to keep working to get everything back in order, and yeah, guys are going to have to step up. And I’m pretty confident that when he’s out, we’re going to have guys here that can get us to the finish line.”