MLB announced Tuesday that San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was given a lifetime ban for betting over $150,000 on multiple MLB games.
The league announced one-year suspensions of four other players for unrelated sports betting violations.
Tucupita Marcano #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates runs off the field during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at PNC Park on July 19, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
“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,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement Tuesday.
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“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.”
Marcano, 24, is accused of betting on MLB games during his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season while he was on the injured list. According to The Associated Press, he was found to have placed 387 baseball bets, including 231 MLB-related wagers, between Oct. 16, 2022 and Nov. 1, 2023, totaling over $150,000.
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Tucupita Marcano (30) looks on during an MLB game against the San Diego Padres on June 28, 2023 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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More than 20 of those bets were wagers on Pirates games while he was on the team’s roster, but not games he appeared in.
Marcano won just 4.3% of all of his MLB-related bets.
“Since the Supreme Court decision opened the door to legalized sports betting, we have worked with licensed sports betting operators and other third parties to put ourselves in a better position from an integrity perspective through the transparency that a regulated sports betting system can provide,” Manfred’s statement continued.
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“MLB will continue to invest heavily in integrity monitoring, educational programming and awareness initiatives with the goal of ensuring strict adherence to this fundamental rule of our game.”
Michael Kelly #47 of the Oakland Athletics pitches against the Houston Astros in the eighth inning at Oakland Coliseum on May24, 2024 in Oakland, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly was also issued a one-year suspension on Tuesday for betting on baseball while he was in the minor leagues. Minor leaguers Jay Groome of San Diego, José Rodríguez of Philadelphia and Andrew Saalfrank of Arizona were also suspended a year for betting on major league games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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