Dodgers Diaz Linked to Cockfighting Promotions

Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Edwin Diaz has been linked to promotions for cockfighting events in Puerto Rico, according to social media posts and local media reports from earlier this year. The three-time All-Star pitcher appears in photos wearing his Dodgers uniform in at least two Facebook advertisements dated February, promoting tournaments organized by a cockfighting club. A separate report included an image of Diaz standing in a cockfighting pit and quoted him describing the activity as a pastime he has followed since childhood.

Cockfighting has been illegal in Puerto Rico and all U.S. territories since a federal ban took effect in 2019 as part of the 2018 Farm Bill. The law prohibits sponsoring, exhibiting, or promoting animal fighting ventures, with penalties of up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Attendance as a spectator can result in up to one year in jail and $100,000 fines. The ban followed years of legal challenges from Puerto Rico, where the practice held cultural significance for many, but the U.S. Supreme Court upheld it in 2021.

Diaz signed a three-year, $69 million contract with the Dodgers in the offseason, making him the highest-paid closer in...