The Major League Baseball Players' Association announced that it has filed a grievance against the New York Mets for their decision to place Francisco Rodriguez on the disqualified list for the rest of the 2010 season.The closer was placed on the list Tuesday in the wake of a season-ending injury to his thumb. Rodriguez, who tore a ligament in his right thumb and has already had surgery on it, apparently suffered the injury in a scuffle at Citi Field with his girlfriend's 53-year-old father, Carlos Pena, last week.
The right-hander was held overnight by police after the scuffle and has been charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.
The intervention of the union was a foregone conclusion once Rodriguez was placed on the disqualified list, a move that makes his contract non-guaranteed and will cost him his pay for the rest of the year -- around $3 million.
Share Mets officials said on a conference call Tuesday that they have every intention to bring Rodriguez off the disqualified list next season, when he is slated to earn $11.5 million, but his presence there for now leaves the door open for the team to attempt to void his contract.
The club initially punished Rodriguez by putting him on the restricted list for two days, a period for which he was also not paid. He appeared in one game after the incident, pitching a scoreless inning Saturday.
