MLB suspends Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly and four others for sports betting – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

On Tuesday, MLB announced the suspension of five players, including Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly, for violating the league’s sports betting rules and policies.

According to an investigation by the MLB Investigations Division, Kelly and San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano, as well as minor league players Jay Groome (Padres pitcher), Jose Rodriguez (Philadelphia Phillies infielder) and Andrew Saalfrank (Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher) face disciplinary action.

Kelly was suspended for one year, according to MLB. Betting data shows that Kelly, who was a minor league player assigned to the Houston Astros’ Triple-A affiliate team at the time, placed 10 bets on nine MLB games from Oct. 5-17, 2021. The bets included outcome bets, over/under bets on the number of runs scored and on the total number of strikeouts by an individual pitcher.

All other players involved – except Marcano – were also banned for one year. Marcano, who had bet on 25 Pittsburgh Pirates games while with the team but was injured in all of them, was banned from baseball for life.

Three of the nine games Kelly bet on involved the Astros’ major league team. He did not attend any of the games he bet on, nor did he place any bets involving his team.

Kelly placed $99.22 on MLB games in his account, winning a total of five of those bets and having a net profit of $28.30.

Although Kelly was not part of the A’s organization at the time of his involvement in the betting, the A’s released a statement on the matter Tuesday morning.

“The A’s were disappointed to learn of the matter involving Michael Kelly,” the statement said. “While we cannot comment on the specifics, this violation occurred before Michael joined the A’s organization and we fully support MLB’s sports betting policy and the need to comply with all provisions of Rule 21.”

“We will continue to inform all members of our organization of their obligations under this policy.”

Oakland claimed Kelly off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians last November. He has appeared in 28 games with the A’s, posting a 2.59 ERA (third among A’s relief pitchers) in 31 1/3 innings in 28 relief appearances.

In March, MLB learned from a legal sportsbook that it had identified past baseball betting activity from accounts associated with several major and minor league players. The league collected data from that bookmaker and other sportsbooks, including betting authentication data.

None of the five players identified participated in the games they bet on, and all players denied having any inside information relevant to the bets or that any of the games had been compromised or rigged.

Under Major League Rule 21, “Any player, umpire, or official or employee of the club or league who wagers any amount on a baseball game in which the bettor does not have a duty to perform shall be declared ineligible for one year. … Any player, umpire, or official or employee of the club or league who wagers any amount on a baseball game in which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared ineligible permanently.”

“Strict enforcement of Major League Baseball’s rules and policies on gambling conduct is a critical component of our most important priority: preserving the integrity of our games for fans,” said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred (h/t MLB.com). The longstanding prohibition on betting on Major League Baseball games has been a core principle for over a century. We have made it clear that the privilege of playing baseball comes with the responsibility to refrain from certain behaviors that are legal for other people to engage in.

“Since the Supreme Court decision opened the door to legalizing sports betting, we have worked with licensed sportsbook operators and other third parties to better position ourselves from an integrity perspective through the transparency that a regulated sports betting system can provide. MLB will continue to invest heavily in integrity monitoring, educational programs and awareness initiatives to ensure strict adherence to this fundamental rule of our game.”