On Tuesday, Major League Baseball announced that it had sanctioned five players for violating the league’s gambling policy by wagering on MLB games, confirming a Wall Street Journal report from the day before.
Four of the players — Diamondbacks pitcher Andrew Saalfrank, Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly, Padres minor-league pitcher Jay Groome and Phillies minor-league infielder José Rodriguez — were given one-year suspensions because their betting took place while they were minor-league players. But San Diego Padres utilityman Tucupita Marcano — who was on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ injured list when he placed bets on MLB games during the latter half of last season — received the ultimate punishment: a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball.