Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz has been linked to illegal cockfighting tournaments in Puerto Rico, according to Josh Peter of USA Today.
Díaz was involved in both participating in the tournaments and in promotional advertising for the event, according to the report:
Edwin Diaz, a three-time All-Star pitcher now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, is linked to cockfighting events in Puerto Rico based on photos found by USA TODAY Sports on social media. Diaz is pictured in a Dodgers uniform in a Facebook post dated Feb. 2 and a Facebook post dated Feb. 4 advertising cockfighting tournaments.
Text in one of the ads, translated into English, reads, “The Puerto Rico Cockfighting Club invites all enthusiasts to a special match and a grand tribute to one of our island’s greatest sources of pride: A Tribute to the Puerto Rican Star and Cockfighter Edwin ‘Sugar’ Díaz.”
Díaz has been involved with cockfighting for years and said it’s something he’s followed since he was a child, according to Nuevo Día:
El Nuevo Día, the largest circulating newspaper in Puerto Rico, published a story March 10 with a photo showing Diaz standing in the pit of a cockfighting arena. Translated into English, the article quotes Diaz saying, “It’s a pastime I’ve followed since I was a child. It’s legal in Puerto Rico, thank God. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.”
According to Nuevo Día, the Díaz family entered four roosters into the event. Another Puerto Rican newspaper, Primera Hora, reported in 2018 that Díaz fought five roosters in San Juan, but it was still legal at that time.
There is a federal ban in the United States, and that took effect in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, in 2019. Still, cockfighting is a significant part of the culture in Puerto Rico and has continued with minimal enforcement on the island, while the government pushed back against the U.S. ban on the practice.
Edwin Díaz and his brother Alexis Díaz have since remained involved in cockfighting despite the ban on it extending to Puerto Rico, according to the USA Today investigation.
In the United States, cockfighting carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, along with a fine. In Puerto Rico, the fines are significantly lower, ranging from $500 to $5,000, and carry a maximum of six years in prison.
It’s currently unclear if Díaz will face legal or MLB punishment for his participation. USA Today said their attempts to contact Diaz’s representation and the Dodgers were unsuccessful, while MLB declined to comment.
Edwin Díaz on injured list
Díaz is currently on the 60-day injured list after undergoing right elbow surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow. Díaz nor the Dodgers have provided a detailed timetable for his return, but it’s not projected to come until some point in the second half of the season.
He cannot return to the roster until June 19. His surgery took place on April 22.
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