Michael Kelly of the Oakland A’s suspended for one year

OAKLAND — Right-handed relief pitcher Michael Kelly was one of five players suspended by Major League Baseball on Tuesday for sports betting, news that shocked his teammates on the Oakland A’s and forced the team’s management to fill another hole in the already overstretched and undermanned bullpen.

In baseball’s biggest betting scandal in more than 30 years, Kelly was one of four players suspended for a year by MLB. A fifth, San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano, was banned for life for betting on baseball games.

Major League Rule 21, posted in every team’s locker room, states that betting on baseball games in which a player, umpire, league official or team employee is not committed will result in a one-year suspension. Anyone who bets on games in which they are committed will be banned for life.

“If these guys were betting on baseball, the rule is pretty clear,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said Tuesday at the Coliseum before his team played the Mariners. “Baseball has made its statement, they’ve done their investigation, and now it’s time to turn the page.”

According to MLB, Kelly, 31, was found to have placed 10 bets on nine major league games from October 5-17, 2021, as a member of the Houston Astros’ Triple-A affiliate team. His bets included game outcome bets, over/under bets on the number of runs scored and on the number of strikeouts by an individual pitcher. Three games involved the Astros.

Kelly’s account wagered a total of $99.22 and won $28.30. Despite the small amount Kelly wagered, his gaming activity violated the applicable rules and resulted in a one-year ban.

Pitchers Jay Groome of San Diego and Andrew Saalfrank of Arizona, as well as Philadelphia infielder José Rodríguez, were also suspended for one year. Like Kelly, these three players wagered less than $1,000.

Marcano is the first active major league player to be banned for life for gambling since New York Giants outfielder Jimmy O’Connell in 1924. Pete Rose, baseball’s all-time hitter, agreed to a lifetime ban in 1989 after an investigation concluded he had bet on Cincinnati Reds games while managing the team.

Several A’s players said there should be no confusion about gambling rules in baseball, and starter Paul Blackburn said MLB does a good job of educating players about what is prohibited.

“Every single practice, we have meetings with MLB security personnel … and they kind of set the rules and the structure of everything. There’s no wiggle room,” Blackburn said. “If it’s something that could potentially jeopardize your career, you might want to reconsider.”

Kotsay learned of Kelly’s suspension from general manager David Forst on Monday afternoon. Kotsay said he then spoke briefly with Kelly about MLB’s discovery, which came after it received a tip in March about a legal sportsbook’s betting activities.

Kotsay said his conversation with Kelly was brief and cordial.

“I don’t know how he feels. We haven’t gone into the conversation any deeper,” Kotsay said. “As far as betting on baseball goes, we know the rule says there are consequences for betting on baseball.”

Kelly was selected off waivers by the A’s from the Cleveland Guardians last November and signed a one-year, $740,000 contract. He has pitched 31 1/3 innings so far this season, making him one of the most used relievers in baseball.

In 28 appearances, the eighth-highest total in MLB, Kelly was 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA, 22 strikeouts and 10 walks. His final appearance with the A’s came Saturday in Atlanta, where he pitched a scoreless inning and earned what eventually became an 11-9 victory over the Braves at Truist Park.

Entering this week, Kelly had not allowed a single earned run in 10 of his last 11 games and had a 0.87 ERA in his last 10.1 innings. Notably, in 16 games with zero or one day of rest, he had a 1.08 ERA (two earned runs in 16.2 innings).

“It just sucks,” Blackburn said of Kelly’s suspension. “Just because of how well he pitched for us and what he meant to the bullpen down there.”

With Kelly suspended and Brady Basso optioned on Sunday, the A’s activated left-hander Sean Newcomb from the 60-day injured list and selected right-hander Vinny Nittoli, a Livermore native whose family moved to Pittsburgh when he was 14, from Triple-A Las Vegas.

To free up a spot on the 40-man roster, Blackburn was placed on the 60-day IL. Right-hander Aaron Brooks, who was scheduled to play on Sunday, was sent directly to Las Vegas.

Kotsay said Nittoli will move directly into a bullpen role and Newcomb could be used as long reliever if needed. The A’s are already missing injured relievers Lucas Erceg and Kyle Muller.

Nittoli, who played with Kelly on the Phillies in 2022, said he was shocked by the suspension.

“He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had,” Nittoli said of Kelly. “Great guy. I really feel sorry for him. I don’t know exactly what came out of it. I’m just figuring it out, like everyone else. I feel sorry for him.”

Can Kelly resume his MLB career once his suspension expires? He will only be 32 years old in June 2025, and as he has shown this season, he can succeed at that level.