MLB bans Tucupita Marcano for life

For the first time since Pete Rose, Major League Baseball has issued a lifetime ban.

Via TheAthletic.com, Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano is banned permanently from baseball.

MLB found that Marcano placed hundreds of bets on baseball. He reportedly placed bets on Pirates games while playing for Pittsburgh in 2023.

“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.”

In all, the league found that Marcano placed 387 baseball bets, including 231 MLB-related bets, in 2022 and 2023. The bets were placed through a legal sportsbook.

He wagered more than $150,000 on baseball, including $87,319 on MLB. Marcano also placed 25 bets on Pirates games last year. All of those bets came after he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

The MLB also suspended four other players for one year: A’s pitcher Michael Kelly, Padres minor-league pitcher Jay Groome, Phillies minor-league infielder José Rodriguez and Diamondbacks pitcher Andrew Saalfrank. All placed MLB-related bets while playing in the minor leagues.