Edwin Diaz, the New York Mets reliever, has announced that he will not appeal his 10-game suspension for using an excessive amount of sticky substance on his hand and equipment. This means that he will begin serving the suspension during the Mets’ game against the Yankees at Citi Field on Tuesday. He will be eligible to return on July 6 when the team faces the Pirates in Pittsburgh.
During a routine check by umpires, what they believed to be an excessive amount of sticky substance was found on Diaz’s hand and equipment. Despite Diaz’s protests that he uses rosin, sweat, and dirt for grip on the ball, he was still ejected from the game. MLB officials have a binary rule on sticky substances – either there is one present or there isn’t.
If Diaz chooses not to appeal, he will miss out on several important series for the Mets, including the two-game Subway Series against the Yankees, a three-game series against the Houston Astros, and a four-game series against the Washington Nationals.
