Edwin Diaz suspended for 10 games due to foreign substance test

25th June: Diaz will not appeal and will begin his suspension tonight. Joel Sherman of the New York Post was among those who broke the news via X.

24 June: As expected, Diaz was suspended for 10 games. Jon Heyman of the New York Post was among those who broke the news via X. The right-hander can appeal the decision, but it’s not yet clear if he will do so.

23rd June: Mets closer Edwin Diaz was ejected from today’s game for apparently using an illegal substance on his hands. Diaz entered the field in the ninth inning to protect New York’s 5-2 lead, but after the standard inspection every pitcher receives before entering and leaving the game, crew chief Vic Carapazza ejected Diaz from the game. Drew Smith And Jake Diekman worked together to make it a scoreless inning, securing the Mets’ victory over the Cubs.

Under league rules, Diaz now faces a mandatory 10-game suspension for foreign substance use. He will not be paid for those 10 games and the Mets will not be allowed to replace him on the roster, requiring the club to field a 25-man roster for the duration of Diaz’s suspension. Diaz has the right to appeal, so it’s possible he could receive less than a 10-game suspension, although that scenario is unlikely given the obvious evidence.

Diaz is the third Mets pitcher in the last two seasons to be removed from the game for consuming an illegal substance, as both Smith and Max Scherzer received 10-game suspensions during the 2023 season. Similar suspensions were imposed on the Astros. Ronel Blanco earlier this season, and to Robert Suárez And Sunday German last year.

Tonight’s incident is the latest twist in a rocky comeback season for Diaz, who missed the entire 2023 season due to a torn patellar tendon. Diaz has a 4.70 ERA in 23 innings and 23 appearances this season, recording seven saves in 11 chances. Although he seemed pretty close to his former All-Star form earlier in the year, a few shaky outings led the Mets to move Diaz to less demanding situations, and he was then sidelined completely due to a shoulder impingement.

The right-hander missed just over three weeks due to the injury and has looked good in his three appearances since being activated from the 15-day IL. Diaz has thrown three scoreless innings and earned two saves and a win in those three games while allowing two hits and no walks and striking out three batters.

He will now get another unwelcome break from the game while he serves his suspension, so the Mets will likely revert to the closer committee approach they used earlier this season when Diaz was both injured and out of the closer’s role. Diaz’s absence dents the momentum of New York, which has won 13 of its last 17 games and moved back into contention for a wild-card spot.