Mets’ Díaz won’t appeal ban; Marte lands on IL
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Jorge Castillo, ESPN Staff Writer
NEW YORK — The New York Mets, streaking in June following a turbulent May, will be without two key contributors for considerable time after closer Edwin Díaz chose not to appeal his 10-game suspension for violating prohibitions on foreign substances and right fielder Starling Marte was placed on the injured list with a right knee bone bruise Tuesday.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Marte, whose IL stint is retroactive to Sunday, will not return to the team for at least a month. The club called up veteran outfielder Ben Gamel to take Marte’s place on the roster.
While the Mets could replace Marte, their bullpen will be a man down without Díaz for the next 10 games. Díaz was ejected before throwing a pitch Sunday in a win over the Chicago Cubs. He was issued the ban Monday and decided not to appeal the decision Tuesday, leaving the Mets relief corps shorthanded as they began a two-game Subway Series with the New York Yankees at Citi Field.
“We want to move on from it,” Mendoza said when asked why Díaz didn’t appeal the suspension. “We don’t want this cloud to be hanging over the team for too long. And we decided it was best.”
On Sunday, Díaz said he used the same legal concoction he’s always used to better grip the baseball: rosin, sweat and dirt. But crew chief Vic Carapazza said the sticky, discolored substance the umpires discovered “definitely wasn’t rosin and sweat.”
Major League Baseball has suspended eight pitchers for foreign substances since it started cracking down on them during the 2021 season. Three have been Mets: Max Scherzer and Drew Smith last year, and Díaz on Sunday.
Mendoza indicated the team planned on making changes to avoid another violation.
“You hate to see it,” Mendoza said. “And as far as doing anything different, from day one, we’ve been very specific and very direct. You hate to see it. I obviously don’t want to get into the details of what we’re going to be doing moving forward, but, obviously, the rules are the rules. Talking to Edwin, obviously, I got his back. I truly believe what he was telling us.”
The suspension was the next chapter in a miserable return to the mound for Díaz, who missed the 2023 season with a torn knee ligament. The 30-year-old right-hander has a 4.70 ERA in 24 appearances and has blown 4-of-11 save opportunities.
Mendoza said he will “mix and match” with the closer role, depending on availability and matchups. The bigger challenge will be navigating a stretch starting Friday of eight games in eight days with an undermanned pitching staff.
“I’m pretty sure we’re going to have to reshuffle some things here, but we just got to take it one game at a time,” Mendoza said. “See where you’re at bullpen-wise and then go from there. The good thing is we got depth. We got people with options and we’ll get through it.”
Marte, meanwhile, is slashing .278/.328/.416 with seven home runs in 66 games this season. Mendoza said Marte, 35, first started feeling knee discomfort during the team’s three-game series in Washington at the beginning of the month. As a result, Mendoza said, the club was careful with Marte’s usage, but “something didn’t look right” after his first at-bat Saturday against the Cubs, so he was pulled.
Mendoza named DJ Stewart, Tyrone Taylor, Jeff McNeil and Gamel as options to play right field in Marte’s absence. Stewart started in right field Sunday. Taylor got the start Tuesday.
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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement with Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim on a three-year, $12.5 million contract, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday.
Kim, 25, was posted by the Kiwoom Heroes on Dec. 5, marking Friday as a deadline to sign with a major league team. He’s known an an elite defender at multiple positions as he played second base, shortstop, third base and in the outfield for the Heroes over his eight-year run with the team.
His current fit with the Dodgers could be as a super utility player, depending on what other moves the team makes this winter. Kim is a career .304 hitter with 37 home runs and 211 stolen bases in 953 games while playing in the KBO. His speed alone can affect games, especially with the newer MLB rules that put an emphasis on base stealing.
The deal includes team options for 2028 and 2029, while the Dodgers also have to pay a $2.5 million release fee to Kiwoom. Per rules, the release fee is 20% of the total package.
LOS ANGELES — Teoscar Hernández will be in right field for the Los Angeles Dodgers next season when the World Series champions try to defend their title.
The outfielder was at Dodger Stadium on Friday after agreeing to rejoin the team on a $66 million, three-year contract.
“I had my mind clear that I wanted to come back and I was going to do anything in my power to make it work and be back with the Dodgers,” Hernández said.
He played last season on a $23.5 million, one-year deal and proved his value by becoming an All-Star and winning the Home Run Derby along with a third career Silver Slugger, which earned him a $1 million bonus. He capped it all by helping the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series.
Hernández said he had offers from other teams that would have gotten him an additional $5 million to $6 million.
“For me, money wasn’t an issue,” he said.
Hernández’s deal comes with a $23 million signing bonus. The Dodgers hold a club option of $15 million for 2028 with a $6.5 million buyout. The contract also features $23.5 million in deferred money.
He called the Dodgers “different” than other teams.
“They give me the confidence. I didn’t get that really in other places,” Hernández said. “They trust me in everything that I can give them. That was one of the biggest things for me, that pushed me to do the best job that I can do in a Dodgers uniform.”
Manager Dave Roberts welcomed the return of Hernández.
“It’s not just about getting the most talented players. You’ve got to be good on the field and you’ve got to play the game a certain way,” he said. “What that does is it makes people around you better, it holds teammates accountable. For us, Teo checked every single box.”
Hernández hit a career-high 33 home runs and drove in 99 runs last season. The 32-year-old hit .272 in 154 games.
“He always put the team first and you could see that there was a real love of the game that he brought to the field each and every day,” general manager Brandon Gomes said. “I do think because of the way he plays with such passion and joy, when those big moments came up, it was something that he really cherished and was able to put the team first and slow the heartbeat down and do whatever was needed in that situation.”
Hernández will be in right field with Mookie Betts moving back to shortstop. Newcomer Michael Conforto will be in left.
Hernández was embraced by Dodgers fans and their support didn’t go unnoticed.
“I appreciate since the first day that I got here Dodgers fans were cheering for me,” he said. “They were giving me the support that I need to have the season that I have last year. When you have that support as a player, you have to give 110 percent every day.”
Information from The Associated Press and Field Level Media was used in this report.
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