ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals gave pitcher Carlos Martinez permission to leave the team Friday in order to attend to a personal matter that arose after a civil lawsuit was filed against him in South Florida, general manager John Mozeliak said.
"We are just learning of this matter. I was notified by Carlos' agent the other night," Mozeliak said Saturday. "We will not be in a position to act until we have more information."
Martinez, who is 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA, was at the stadium Saturday, but he was absent from the Cardinals' clubhouse when reporters were allowed in after the game. The lawsuit, filed in a Miami district court, will not affect Martinez's ability to make his scheduled start Sunday against the Washington Nationals.
"We're right on track. He's going to be our starter tomorrow," manager Mike Matheny said.
The Cardinals have not heard from representatives of Major League Baseball but were gathering facts to determine whether any of the allegations made by the woman who filed the civil suit could trigger an investigation under the league's domestic violence rules.
The league and players association agreed on a new domestic violence policy last year. The policy allows the commissioner to issue discipline for "just cause," the same standard used under the sport's collective bargaining agreement. Discipline is not dependent on a criminal conviction.
Several players have been investigated under the policy so far, including New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman, Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig.