Tucupita Marcano has been banned for life for placing hundreds of wagers on the Major League Baseball, including on his team’s matches.
Marcano placed 387 baseball bets, including 213 MLB-related bets from October 2022 to November 2023, while he was playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Tucupita had not played this campaign due to a knee injury. He did not appear in any of the matches before his second stint with the San Diego Padres last November.
MLB reports that Marcano bet over $150,000 in total on baseball, with $87,319 of that on MLB-related bets.
Marcano denied that any results in the baseball matches he betted on were compromised, influenced or manipulated in any way.
Michael Kelly, an Oakland Athletics pitcher, who betted on nine MLB matches, has been banned for one year.
Kelly placed a total of $99.22 for a net win of $28.30 from those wagers.
“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.
MLB began an investigation into gambling after catching wind of it from sports betting companies.
The last baseball player to get a lifetime ban for gambling is New York Giants outfielder Jimmy O’Connell in 1924.
Three minor league players have been banned for breaching betting rules. Padres pitcher Jay Groone, Philadelphia Phillies infielder Jose Rodriguez and Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Andrew Saalfrank are banned too.
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