Edwin Diaz is not worried about any potential consequences related to his cockfighting scandal.
The Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Diaz spoke with reporters on Sunday. During the media session, Diaz addressed his alleged links to illegal cockfighting in his native Puerto Rico, which were unearthed in May.
“I wasn’t doing nothing illegal,” said Diaz, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. “So [MLB] didn’t reach to me. But at the end of the day, I’m looking to help this team to win.”
USA Today revealed in mid-May that the image of the three-time All-Star Diaz was being used to advertise illegal cockfighting events in his Puerto Rico. Additionally, the report stated that Diaz had been featured in a local news story talking about his love for the now-banned sport (read the full details here).
Though a longstanding tradition in Puerto Rico, a federal ban on cockfighting officially went into effect in all 50 U.S. states and U.S. territories in 2019. Even attending a cockfighting event as a spectator comes with a potential punishment of up to one year in jail and a fine.
As for Diaz, the 32-year-old righty who signed a $69 million contract with the Dodgers over the offseason, he remains on the injured list after undergoing minor right elbow surgery in April. But he is now targeting a return after the All-Star break and does not sound concerned about facing possible MLB discipline for his links to cockfighting.
