A major leaguer and four minor leaguers have been suspended for gambling on baseball

MLB has announced that five players have been suspended for violations of MLB’s sports betting policy.

Tucupita Marcano of the San Diego Padres has been banned for life. There were reports yesterday that Marcano was facing a potential lifetime ban for betting on games involving the Pittsburgh Pirates last year while he was a member of the team. Marcano was originally signed by the Padres and was traded to the Pirates at the 2021 trade deadline in the deal that brought Adam Frazier to San Diego. The Padres claimed Marcano on waivers over the winter. He has spent the entire season on the injured list.

Oakland A’s pitcher Michael Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Andrew Saalfrank, Philadelphia Phillies infielder Jose Rodriguez, and Padres pitcher Jay Groome all received one year suspensions.

If Saalfrank’s name sounds familiar, that’s because he was on the Diamondbacks’ playoff roster last year, and appeared in three games in the World Series against the Texas Rangers. He had appeared in just a couple of games in the majors this year, and is currently in the minor leagues.

Groome was a first round pick in 2016, going 12th overall to the Boston Red Sox. He was traded to San Diego in the Eric Hosmer trade.

Kelly was claimed on waivers by the A’s from the Cleveland Guardians this past winter, and had put up a 2.59 ERA in 31.1 innings over 28 appearances this year.

Rodriguez appeared in one major league game in his career.

Marcano, per MLB, placed 231 MLB-related bets, and won only 4.3% of them. 25 of those bets involved the Pirates while he was on the team.

Kelly apparently bet $99.22 on baseball, and Saalfrank $445.87.