BREAKING: Padres Infielder Banned From Baseball For Life

With recent developments across a number of sports, gambling continues to be a scandal that is rocking players everywhere. With recent suspensions of players in the NHL and the NBA, the MLB has once again been brought into the fray, bringing down the hammer on a player found guilty of gambling violations. San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano has been declared "permanently ineligible" by MLB — i.e. banned for life.

Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano has been banned for life for violating MLB's gambling policy, MLB announced.

Padres’ Jay Groome, Phillies’ José Rodríguez, Diamondbacks’ Andrew Saalfrank and the Athletics’ Michael Kelly have all been suspended one year for betting.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) June 4, 2024

Through 2022 and 2023, investigations found that Marcano placed 387 bets on baseball, more than 200 of those on MLB. He bet more than $150,000 in all, $87,000+ on the major league games, and 25 of the bets were on Pittsburgh Pirates games while he was in that organization. Most of the bets occurred after he suffered a season-ending knee injury and was receiving rehab at PNC Park.

Was it all worth it for Marcano? Turns out that he lost all of his Pirates bets, and won only 4.3% of all of his baseball bets.

The Venezuelan infielder/outfielder played 149 games over three seasons from 2021 through 2023 with the Padres and Pirates, batting .217 with a .589 OPS.

Marcano is not the only player hit by baseball for gambling violations. The Padres’ Jay Groome, Philadelphia Phillies’ José Rodríguez, Arizona Diamondbacks’ Andrew Saalfrank and the Oakland Athletics’ Michael Kelly have all been suspended one year for betting.

Here's a full list of what MLB announced regarding former Pirate Tucupita Marcano: pic.twitter.com/KHbcaB2grr
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) June 4, 2024