NEW YORK – Major Leagues on Friday imposed a suspension for the entire 2021 season on pitcher Sam Dyson under the league’s domestic violence policy and the players ’union.
The 32-year-old free agent last played in 2019 for the San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins.
MLB began investigating Dyson in 2019 after a woman posted two lengthy messages on social media accusing an individual she did not identify of domestic violence. However, the woman later revealed to sports portal The Athletic that Dyson physically assaulted her.
The Athletic reported that the woman provided photographs of the blues in her arms which, she claimed, were caused by Dyson. He also claimed that Dyson caused physical damage to her throat.
“My office has completed its investigation,” Major League Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “After reviewing all available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Dyson 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 has a 24-23 record and 3.40 ERA in an opening and 375 relay outings with Toronto Blue Jays (2012), Miami Marlins (2013-15), Texas Rangers (2015-17), San Francisco (2017-19) and Minnesota which was bought from the Giants on July 19, 2019, in exchange for three players.
Dyson is known for awarding the three-run home run with which Dominican Jose Bautista broke the tie for the Blue Jays in the seventh inning of the fifth game of the American League divisional series in 2015, a game that Toronto won 6-3 to advance in the postseason. After the beating, Baptista glanced at the pitcher in a picture for the memory in which he threw his bat.
Dyson thus becomes a nearly 15-man player sanctioned under Major League policy on domestic violence since 2016, the first since Dominican pitcher Germán of the New York Yankees on Sunday served an 81-game suspension that began in September of 2019 and extended throughout last season.