Which Five MLB Players Were Disciplined for Betting on Baseball?
Sportsgrid Staff
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José Rodríguez
Rodríguez, 23, is the youngest and least known player on the list. He signed with the White Sox as an international free agent in 2018 and steadily climbed the ranks over the next six seasons.
After a challenging minor league season in 2023 and a difficult spring training in 2024, the White Sox designated him for assignment and traded him to the Phillies in April. Rodríguez performed well over 38 games at Double-A Reading, posting a 112 wRC+ in 164 plate appearances before his suspension.
This post by Leo Morgenstern appeared first on Just Baseball.
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Which Five MLB Players Were Disciplined for Betting on Baseball?
On the morning of Tuesday, June 4, 2024, Major League Baseball announced that five players have been disciplined for violating the league’s sports betting rules and policies. Michael Kelly (OAK), Andrew Saalfrank (ARI), Jay Groome (SDP), and José Rodríguez (PHI) have all received one-year suspensions. Tucupita Marcano (SDP) has been declared permanently ineligible to return to MLB.
Although none of the players bet on games they participated in, their actions still breached the league’s regulations. The rules explicitly prohibit players from betting “any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game.”
The standard punishment for betting on any baseball game is a one-year suspension. Betting on a game “with which the bettor has a duty to perform” results in a lifetime ban.
In Marcano’s case, he didn’t bet on any MLB game in which he played, but he did place bets on Pirates games while he was “assigned to the Pirates’ Major League Club” (per MLB). Although MLB announced all five punishments simultaneously, each case is unrelated, with no known connection between the players’ gambling activities.
None of the five players have opted to appeal the league’s decision.
This post by Leo Morgenstern appeared first on Just Baseball.
Tucupita Marcano
Marcano, a utility player in the Padres organization, started his professional career with San Diego, signing as an international free agent in 2016. He made his Major League debut with the Padres in 2021. That summer, he was traded to the Pirates as part of the deal for Adam Frazier.
After spending parts of three seasons in Pittsburgh, Marcano returned to his original team this past offseason. He has not played a game in 2024, as he is still recovering from knee surgery he underwent last August.
Michael Kelly
Kelly, 31, also started his career in San Diego after the Padres selected him in the first round of the 2011 draft. Despite the high expectations, he struggled to live up to his first-round status and bounced between several teams before finally making his MLB debut with the Phillies in 2022.
After delivering a solid performance from the Guardians' bullpen in the latter half of the 2023 season, Kelly was designated for assignment post-season. The Athletics picked him up, and by Opening Day, he was pitching out of Oakland’s bullpen. Through 28 appearances this year, Kelly has a 3-2 record with a 2.59 ERA and a 3.81 FIP.
Andrew Saalfrank
Saalfrank contributed significantly to the Diamondbacks' postseason run last fall, leading the team with 11 playoff appearances, including 2.1 scoreless innings in the World Series. However, he did not make the Opening Day roster in 2024 and only appeared in two games for the D-backs during a brief call-up in late April.
He will be 27 when he becomes eligible to return from his suspension next season.
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Jay Groome
Groome, 26, with yet another Padres connection, was one of the top prospects in the 2016 draft, selected by the Red Sox with the 12th overall pick. Six years later, after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Boston traded him to San Diego in exchange for Eric Hosmer, Max Ferguson, and Corey Rosier.
In his first full season with the Padres organization, the left-hander struggled, posting an 8.55 ERA (6.91 FIP) over 30 starts at Triple-A in 2023. Despite these struggles, he remained a depth option for the Padres this year due to his spot on the 40-man roster and the team's numerous pitching injuries.
He has yet to make his MLB debut.
José Rodríguez
Rodríguez, 23, is the youngest and least known player on the list. He signed with the White Sox as an international free agent in 2018 and steadily climbed the ranks over the next six seasons.
After a challenging minor league season in 2023 and a difficult spring training in 2024, the White Sox designated him for assignment and traded him to the Phillies in April. Rodríguez performed well over 38 games at Double-A Reading, posting a 112 wRC+ in 164 plate appearances before his suspension.
This post by Leo Morgenstern appeared first on Just Baseball.
Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
Which Five MLB Players Were Disciplined for Betting on Baseball?
On the morning of Tuesday, June 4, 2024, Major League Baseball announced that five players have been disciplined for violating the league’s sports betting rules and policies. Michael Kelly (OAK), Andrew Saalfrank (ARI), Jay Groome (SDP), and José Rodríguez (PHI) have all received one-year suspensions. Tucupita Marcano (SDP) has been declared permanently ineligible to return to MLB.
Although none of the players bet on games they participated in, their actions still breached the league’s regulations. The rules explicitly prohibit players from betting “any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game.”
The standard punishment for betting on any baseball game is a one-year suspension. Betting on a game “with which the bettor has a duty to perform” results in a lifetime ban.
In Marcano’s case, he didn’t bet on any MLB game in which he played, but he did place bets on Pirates games while he was “assigned to the Pirates’ Major League Club” (per MLB). Although MLB announced all five punishments simultaneously, each case is unrelated, with no known connection between the players’ gambling activities.
None of the five players have opted to appeal the league’s decision.
This post by Leo Morgenstern appeared first on Just Baseball.
