Major League Baseball on Friday imposed a suspension for the entire 2021 season on pitcher Sam Dyson on Friday as part of the league’s domestic violence policy and the players’ union.
The 32-year-old agent last played in 2019 in San Francisco and Minnesota.
MLB launched the Dyson investigation in 2019 after a woman posted two long messages on social networks accusing a person she did not identify of domestic violence. However, the woman will later reveal to the Athletic sports portal that Dyson physically assaulted her.
Athletic reported that the woman provided photos of bruises on her arms that she claimed were caused by Dyson. He also claimed that Dyson harmed her cat.
“My office has completed its investigation,” Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “After examining all the available evidence, I have come to the conclusion that Mr Dyson has violated our policy and that the sanction is appropriate.”
MLB added that Dyson will participate in a confidential assessment and care program overseen by its joint policy board.
Dyson is 24-23, with an ERA of 3.40 in a single start and 375 relief starts with Toronto (2012), Miami (2013-15), Texas (2015-17), San Francisco (2017-19) and Minnesota, which he acquired from the Giants on July 19, 2019, in exchange for three players.
Dyson is known for awarding the three-stage homer with which Jose Bautista broke the tie for the Blue Jays in the seventh round of Game 5 of the 2015 American League Division, a game won by Toronto 6-3 to advance -season. After the blow, Bautista glanced at the pitcher in a memorable image in which she threw her bat.
Dyson thus becomes one of about 15 players sanctioned under the 2016 Major League Baseball domestic violence policy, the first since Dominican pitcher Domingo Germán of the New York Yankees executed an 81-game suspension that began in September 2019 and his spread throughout last season.