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New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz has been suspended 10 games and fined an undisclosed amount after violating prohibitions on foreign substances, Major League Baseball announced Monday.

The suspension, issued by MLB senior vice president of on-field operations Michael Hill, will begin Tuesday, when the Mets are set to host the New York Yankees at Citi Field, unless he appeals the discipline. If Díaz appeals to MLB special assistant John McHale Jr., the penalty will be held in abeyance until the disciplinary process is complete.

Díaz was ejected before he took the mound in the ninth inning of the Mets’ 5-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday night by crew chief Vic Carapazza after a sticky, discolored substance was found on Díaz’s right hand.

Díaz, 30, told reporters he uses only rosin, sweat and dirt on his hands.

“I use the same thing, always,” he said. “I rub rosin, sweat and I put my hand in the dirt a little bit so I can have some grip on the ball. … I was really surprised because I didn’t have anything on my hand, glove or belt. They always check everything.”

Carapazza said in a pool report after the game it “definitely wasn’t rosin and sweat” on Díaz’s hand.

“We’ve checked thousands of these,” Carapazza said. “I know what that feeling is. This was very sticky.”

Both Díaz and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the umpire said he thought the pitcher had too much of a combination of rosin, sweat and dirt on his throwing hand.

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

Díaz, a two-time All-Star, has struggled this season, with just seven saves and a 4.70 ERA. He missed all of last season with a knee injury suffered while celebrating a Puerto Rico win in the World Baseball Classic and spent about two weeks on the injured list this season with a shoulder issue before being reinstated June 13.

Díaz became the eighth pitcher suspended for sticky stuff since MLB cracked down on pitchers attempting to use foreign substances to improve their grip and spin rates in 2021. Three of them have been Mets, including Max Scherzer and Drew Smith last year.

The Houston AstrosRonel Blanco was suspended May 15.

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Escalator malfunction at Brewers’ park injures 11

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Escalator malfunction at Brewers' park injures 11

Eleven people were injured after an escalator at the Milwaukee Brewers‘ American Family Field malfunctioned, resulting in “an increased downward speed.”

The incident occurred after the Brewers’ 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs while fans were taking the escalator from the terrace to the loge level.

Five of the people injured were treated at the ballpark while the other six were transported to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, according to the team.

The Brewers, in a statement Sunday, said they were in the process of reaching out to those who were injured to “check on their condition and express our best wishes for a complete and speedy recovery.”

The team also said that all of the ballpark escalators were inspected overnight and deemed safe for use. The Brewers host the Cubs again Sunday at 1:10 p.m. CT.

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Pirates catcher Bart returns from thumb injury

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Pirates catcher Bart returns from thumb injury

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart has been activated from the 10-day injured list after recovering from a left thumb injury.

Bart, who last played for Pittsburgh on May 26, went 6-for-17 during a six-game rehab assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis.

The Pirates acquired Bart, 27, in an April 2 trade, sending right-hander Austin Strickland to the San Francisco Giants. The 2018 No. 2 draft pick out of Georgia Tech, Bart failed to catch on with the Giants as Buster Posey‘s successor.

In 22 games before the injury, Bart was batting .267 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 22 games. In 184 career games, he has a .224 average with 15 homers, 50 RBIs and 197 strikeouts.

In a corresponding move, the Pirates sent catcher Jason Delay, 29, to Indianapolis.

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Guardians send struggling P McKenzie to minors

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Guardians send struggling P McKenzie to minors

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Cleveland Guardians are sending Triston McKenzie to the minors to work out his pitching problems.

The AL Central leaders optioned the right-hander to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday, two days after he went a season-low 2⅓ innings in a 10-3 loss to the Royals. McKenzie hasn’t gone past the third inning in any of his last three starts.

McKenzie is 3-5 with a 5.11 ERA in 16 starts. He has given up 19 homers in 75⅔ innings.

To take McKenzie’s spot, the team activated right-hander Gavin Williams from the 60-day injured list. Williams hasn’t pitched for Cleveland this season after he injured his elbow while throwing a weighted ball during a workout in spring training.

Williams had to build back his arm strength the past two months and made seven minor league appearances before the Guardians were comfortable bringing him up. He made 82 pitches in his last outing.

On Saturday, Chris Antonetti, the team’s president of baseball operations, said the club will continue to be patient with Williams, who likely will be on a pitch count for now.

A former first-round draft pick, the 24-year-old Williams went 3-5 with a 3.29 ERA in 16 starts as a rookie in 2023.

The Guardians could be looking to add another starter before the trade deadline. They signed veteran left-hander Matthew Cook to a one-year contract Saturday, but he won’t be ready to join the rotation until August after having Tommy John surgery last year.

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