MLB Bans Padres Infielder For Sports Betting + 4 Others Suspended

• The MLB issued a permanent ban on San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for placing hundreds of bets on baseball, including bets on his own team.
• Marcano was found to have placed 231-MLB related wagers from Oct. 16, 2022 to Nov. 1, 2023 during his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Four other MLB players received one-year suspensions for violating sports betting policies.

SAN DIEGO – Major League Baseball issued five suspensions on Tuesday morning, most notably the permanent ban of San Diego Padres’ infielder Tucupita Marcano. Marcano bet over $150,000 from Oct. 16, 2022 to Nov. 1, 2023 during his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

With help from legal sports betting operators, the MLB found that 25 of the 200+ MLB bets placed by Marcano included Pirates games while he was a member of the team. He only won 4.3% of all his MLB-related bets and lost every parlay that included the Pirates.

According to Major League Rule 21, “Any player umpire, or Club, or League official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has no duty to perform, shall be declared ineligible for one year.” However, Marcano’s situation applies to the section that reads: “any player… who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor HAS a duty to perform, shall be declared PERMANENTLY INELGIBLE.”

Four Other Players Receive One-Year Suspensions

Three Minor League pitchers, including one Padres player, and one Major League pitcher received one-year suspensions for violating MLB betting policies. Michael Kelly (Oakland Athletics), Jay Groome (San Diego Padres), Jose Rodriguez (Philadelphia Phillies), and Andrew Saalfrank (Arizona Diamondbacks) are all declared ineligible for one year with varying circumstances of betting on their Major League clubs but not any bets with their assigned teams.

Since betting data from all four players showed they bet on their Major League Clubs while positioned in the Minor Leagues, they avoid the permanent ban. Padres minor leaguer Jay Groome didn’t utilize any California sports betting sites, as his suspension comes from betting data when he was a member of the Boston Red Sox organization.

News tags: Baseball | California | MLB | Pittsburgh Pirates | San Diego Padres | Tucupita Marcano