MLB Bans San Diego Padres Infielder For Life

An MLB player for the San Diego Padres got the Pete Rose treatment.

San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned for life from the MLB for betting on baseball games.

In an investigative report, the MLB discovered Tucpita placed 387 baseball bets amounting up to $150,000.

The bets took place from October 2022 to November 2023.

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred stated, “The strict enforcement of Major League Baseball’s rules and policies governing gambling conduct is a critical component of upholding our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans.”

https://t.co/o3BfSuIONX MLB bans San Diego Padres infielder for life for sports betting

— CW39 (@CW39Houston) June 4, 2024

JUST IN | #MLB bans #TucupitaMarcano for life for betting on baseball, four others get one-year suspensionshttps://t.co/tjzZrmdkUZ

— Queen City News (@Queen_City_News) June 4, 2024

Per AP:

San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned from baseball for life for betting on the sport and four others were suspended for one year by Major League Baseball on Tuesday in the game’s biggest gambling scandal in decades.

MLB said Marcano placed 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 in October 2022 and from last July through November with a legal sportsbook. He became the first active player in a century banned for life because of gambling.

Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly was suspended for one year for betting on baseball while in the minor leagues and a three minor leaguers also were banned for one year for betting on big league games: pitchers Jay Groome of San Diego and Andrew Saalfrank of Arizona, and infielder José Rodríguez of Philadelphia. Each of those four players wagered under $1,000.

“The strict enforcement of Major League Baseball’s rules and policies governing gambling conduct is a critical component of upholding our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “The longstanding prohibition against betting on Major League Baseball games by those in the sport has been a bedrock principle for over a century. We have been clear that the privilege of playing in baseball comes with a responsibility to refrain from engaging in certain types of behavior that are legal for other people.”

MLB bans player for life, suspends four others for betting on baseball https://t.co/QL0Se0s5xd pic.twitter.com/0LjbA3nkfH

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 4, 2024

The New York Post had these details to share:

Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was officially banned from MLB for life on Tuesday for betting on Pirates games while he was a member of the team last season, commissioner Rob Manfred announced.

Four other players — A’s pitcher Michael Kelly, Diamondbacks pitcher Andrew Saalfrank, Padres pitcher Jay Groome and Phillies infielder Jose Rodriguez — received one-year suspensions for betting on other teams.

Marcano was found to have bet on the Pirates while he was on their injured list.