MLB permanently bans Padres’ Marcano for betting

Major League Baseball permanently banned San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano on Tuesday for placing hundreds of bets on baseball, including wagers on the Pittsburgh Pirates when he was a member of the team last season.

MLB’s Department of Investigations found Marcano placed 387 baseball bets, including 231 MLB-related bets, through a legal sportsbook in 2022 and 2023, the league said. He bet more than $150,000 on baseball, including $87,319 on MLB-related bets, the league said. Additionally, Marcano placed 25 bets on Pirates games last season while he was on the team. However, all of these wagers occurred after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in July 2023.

Marcano, 24, is believed to be the first major leaguer to receive a permanent ban for gambling on baseball since MLB career hits leader Pete Rose agreed to a lifetime ban in 1989 for betting on games as a Cincinnati Reds player and manager from 1985 to 1987.

“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. “The longstanding prohibition against betting on Major League Baseball games by those in the sport has been a bedrock principle for over a century.”

MLB also suspended four other players for one year — Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly, Padres minor-league pitcher Jay Groome, Philadelphia Phillies minor-league infielder José Rodriguez and Arizona Diamondbacks minor-league pitcher Andrew Saalfrank — for violating MLB’s betting policies. The Department of Investigations found all four players placed MLB-related bets while in the minors.

MLB said a legal sports betting operator informed the league in March that it had “identified past baseball betting activity” from accounts connected to multiple players. None of the evidence suggested the games the players placed bets on were compromised, the league said.

The punishments were issued in accordance with Major League Rule 21, which states, “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.”

In Marcano’s case, the rule states, “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 a duty to perform, shall be declared permanently ineligible.”

The MLB Players’ Association declined to comment.

“The A’s were disappointed to learn of the matter involving Michael Kelly,” the A’s said in a statement Tuesday. “While we cannot comment on the details, this violation occurred prior to Michael joining the A’s organization and we fully support MLB’s sports betting policy and the need to adhere to all provisions of Rule 21.”

Marcano hadn’t played since July 24, 2023, due to a torn right ACL. He appeared in 149 games from 2021 to 2023 with the Padres and Pirates.

This story will be updated.

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