Free-Agent MLB Pitcher Sam Dyson Allegedly Abused Ex-Girlfriend Alexis Blackburn

Alexis Blackburn, who is the ex-girlfriend of free-agent MLB pitcher Sam Dyson, detailed years of alleged abuse from the pitcher in a report from Katie Strang and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. 

Blackburn told Strang and Rosenthal she called the Jupiter Police Department multiple times in November to detail the abuse and seek help in getting her personal items from the house she lived in with Dyson for two years but was met with resistance.

One officer told her it was a civil matter and nothing could be done by police because her name wasn't on the deed, while another said she sounded like a "vindictive girlfriend." She said Dyson's agent also did not respond when she reached out for help.

According to Strang and Rosenthal, Blackburn said her cat needed emergency surgery after Dyson kicked a box the cat was in as a way of taking out his aggression.

In November 2019, Scott Gleeson of USA Today reported MLB opened up an investigation into Dyson after Blackburn posted messages on Instagram that alleged mental and physical abuse.

"We are aware of the matter and looking into it," the league said at the time.

Strang and Rosenthal reported Dyson first sat down with league investigators in September. The report also detailed recorded interviews between Jupiter police and Dyson, as well as interviews between police and Blackburn after she reported Dyson's alleged attack on her cat.

Blackburn told police Dyson was physically and mentally abusive for years and that she feared for her safety. While Dyson told police he had a "verbally violent and toxic relationship" with Blackburn, he said the cat was not in the box when he kicked it and he could not remember if he was physically abusive toward Blackburn during the night in question.

After telling Dyson he did not believe they had probable cause for an arrest, the officer ended the interview by telling the pitcher, "OK, get back to your workout, bud."

Blackburn told The Athletic that her experiences interacting with police related to the abuse "left her feeling re-traumatized."

Strang and Rosenthal added the following:

"The Athletic has reviewed text messages, photos, medical documents and public records and conducted several interviews with friends and associates of the pair, which support Blackburn's claims that Dyson routinely tried to assert control over her social interactions, work opportunities, and medical decisions and routinely belittled and demeaned her in front of family members and friends.

"Additionally, Blackburn provided photos that she says show that Dyson physically harmed her and her cat. She said she once told a friend that she wanted her story out in case something happened to her."

While MLB helped Blackburn financially and with counseling, she was not aware of the league's resources until the wife of one of Dyson's former teammates connected her with a contact in MLB security.

One woman in the MLB community who Strang and Rosenthal talked to said materials detailing resources are often given to players in spring training, which means partners in abusive relationships may not be able to access them if the players do not share.

Dyson first pitched in the major leagues in 2012 and has played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins, Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins.

He did not pitch in 2020 because he was recovering from shoulder surgery.