Cards looking into Martínez incident in DR

Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martínez violated COVID-19 restrictions in his hometown in the Dominican Republic over the weekend, prompting the police to get involved due to a mass gathering, according to news reports from the Dominican.

Martínez was participating in an event with a popular music artist in his hometown of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. A photo of Martínez on a motorcycle with the singer on the back circulated on social media, and neither of them wore masks while their presence drew a crowd. Martínez and the singer were in violation of an executive mandate on social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Cardinals are aware of the situation and sent out a statement on Monday afternoon saying that Martínez was not arrested and that there are no pending legal charges against him.

“The St. Louis Cardinals were informed earlier today that Carlos Martínez had participated in a public gathering event this past weekend in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

“We are currently gathering details from this event, but it is our understanding that Carlos was not arrested nor are there any pending legal charges against him.

“Certainly, we would not condone anyone from our organization knowingly violating community laws or health regulations.”

Martínez, 29, was one of the Cardinals who contracted COVID-19 and showed symptoms severe enough to send him to the hospital for treatment during the season. He missed more than a month and only made five starts for the Cardinals before an oblique injury ended his season during the final week. The right-hander earned a starting role after injuries interrupted the past few seasons, but he went 0-3 with a 9.90 ERA.

Now, he is entering the final guaranteed year of his five-year, $51 million contract extension signed in 2017, which also includes two club option years in '22 and ’23.