CHICAGO — New York Mets nearer Edwin Díaz was ejected Sunday evening after umpires checked his palms and glove earlier than throwing a pitch in opposition to the Chicago Cubs within the ninth inning.
Crew chief Vic Carapazza confirmed that Díaz’s ejection was a results of sticky stuff.
Carapazza mentioned: “I touched his hand. Grabbed his hand. The substance was extraordinarily sticky. Discolored. That was that. It undoubtedly wasn’t rosin and sweat. We’ve checked hundreds of those. I do know what that feeling is. This was very sticky.”
Mets nearer Edwin Díaz was ejected for having a substance on his pitching hand 😳
🎥 @espnpic.twitter.com/NIwLtG7oKO
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 24, 2024
An ejection for sticky stuff carries an automated 10-game suspension. Because of Díaz’s suspension, the Mets will play with 25 gamers as a substitute of 26; they can not use a alternative.
The Mets held on to win, 5-2, to proceed their scorching streak, however shedding Díaz — who not too long ago returned from the injured listing with improved outcomes — presents a major problem.
After lacking all of 2023 due to knee surgical procedure, Díaz has skilled an up-and-down season, emblematic of the Mets’ unevenness in 2024. Díaz was robust for the primary few weeks (0.93 ERA by way of April 28) however then struggled majorly — blowing 4 saves and permitting 11 runs throughout 10 appearances — which led to him quickly shedding the nearer function. On Might 29, the Mets positioned Díaz on the injured listing with a proper shoulder impingement. Díaz’s struggles and his damage coincided with a depressing month of Might for the Mets.
Since returning on June 13, nonetheless, Díaz has resembled his outdated self. In his final three appearances, Díaz has pitched three scoreless innings, incomes two saves. On his first day again from the injured listing, his fastball hit over 99 mph thrice. Earlier than that, his common velocity on each his fastball and slider had been down. Díaz then hit over 100 mph for the primary time this season in a recreation on June 14.
Díaz would be the eighth MLB pitcher suspended for overseas substances because the new guidelines had been instituted. Of that listing, two different Mets pitchers — Max Scherzer (now with the Texas Rangers) and reliever Drew Smith — obtained suspensions final 12 months.
“They thought it was an excessive amount of,” Mendoza mentioned. “Díaz stored saying it was rosin, sweat and filth. And Vic thought that he had crossed the road there. Clearly the principles are the principles they usually made the choice to throw him out.”
Díaz mentioned that he used the identical combination that he all the time applies earlier than pitching: rosin, sweat and slightly filth. Although tv cameras confirmed apparent residue of some sort on Díaz’s hand, he mentioned that his hand all the time appears to be like like that upon coming into a recreation. He mentioned he defined as a lot to the umpires, however they contended it was an excessive amount of. Díaz mentioned he understood their stance, despite the fact that he wasn’t anticipating the result.
“I used to be actually shocked as a result of I didn’t have something on my hand, glove, belt,” Díaz mentioned. “They thought that was sticky loads. I simply mentioned, ‘Hey, you possibly can test my hand, odor my hand.’ However they threw me out of the sport.”
After Díaz’s ejection, Mendoza inserted Smith into the sport. Smith didn’t heat up within the bullpen, as he had no expectation of getting used till the ejection occurred. So Smith warmed up on the mound. After recording two outs and in the course of the third at-bat in opposition to him, he motioned for catcher Francisco Alvarez to satisfy him on the mound. Mendoza jogged in from the dugout. Smith mentioned he was wonderful, however Mendoza eliminated him after permitting a single for lefty Jake Diekman, who completed the inning.
Smith, who has made appearances in 6 of the final 10 days, mentioned he was stiff and had hassle getting free. He mentioned he ought to’ve taken extra time to heat up, however mentioned the problem he was experiencing “wasn’t something main.” Like Díaz, Smith not too long ago returned from the injured listing as nicely, doing so on June 3.
Díaz’s imminent suspension comes at a foul time for the Mets (37-39), who’re one recreation out of a wild-card spot with a couple of month to go earlier than the commerce deadline after successful 13 of their final 17 video games. The Mets are off Monday and Thursday this week, however beginning Friday, New York is ready to play 17 straight days.
The Mets have been mulling the concept of inserting one other starter, presumably at the start of July, due to their schedule. High pitching prospect Christian Scott would doubtless get recalled in that state of affairs. Nonetheless, with a brief bullpen, the Mets’ pitching plans will not be as easy as they had been earlier than Díaz’s ejection.
With out Díaz, the remainder of the Mets’ bullpen consists of lengthy reliever Adrian Houser, Smith, Diekman, Danny Younger, Dedniel Nunez, Adam Ottavino and Reed Garrett. On Saturday, the Mets misplaced Sean Reid-Foley (shoulder) to the injured listing.
Díaz stabilizes the Mets’ bullpen; they struggled final month throughout his struggles and absence. With out Díaz, the Mets would lean on a mixture of Ottavino, Nunez and Garrett for high-leverage spots together with Diekman and Younger, one other lefty. Ottavino has not too long ago labored a number of innings, however that was extra circumstantial than the rest, given his struggles, relaxation and the provision (or lack thereof) of the remainder of the bullpen. Mendoza mentioned that the Mets would “need to get artistic.”
“We’ve been by way of loads this 12 months,” Mendoza mentioned. “We’ll discover a solution to get by way of it.”
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(Picture: Ronald Martinez / Getty Pictures)