In a surprising cross-section of sports, a Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and two of horse racing's top jockeys have been linked to illegal cockfighting in Puerto Rico, according to a recent report from USA Today. The story, published Thursday, sheds light on social media posts promoting cockfighting tournaments that feature three-time All-Star closer Edwin Díaz in his Dodgers uniform, as well as an article from El Nuevo Día, Puerto Rico's largest newspaper, quoting Díaz.

The Ortiz brothers—Jose and Irad, who finished first and second respectively in this month's Kentucky Derby—were also advertised as participants in a 2025 cockfighting tournament. All three athletes are natives of Puerto Rico, where cockfighting has long been a cultural tradition, a booming industry, and a point of contention between the U.S. territory and the federal government.

Representatives for Díaz and the Ortiz brothers did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday. The controversy stems from a 2019 federal law that banned cockfighting in Puerto Rico, making the blood sport illegal across all U.S. states and territories. Many Puerto Ricans viewed the ban as an attack on their heritage and openly vowed to defy it. In response, Puerto Rico passed its own law allowing cockfights as long as participants don't export or import animals or related goods and services. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the federal ban in 2021.

In the March El Nuevo Día article, Díaz is quoted discussing his lifelong connection to cockfighting. He was attending a tournament where his family entered four roosters. "It's legal in Puerto Rico, thank God. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here," he said in Spanish. "It's something I've done since childhood, something my dad instilled in me." The Dodgers signed Díaz to a three-year, $69-million contract in December, adding another layer of intrigue to this unfolding story.