MLB suspends Phillies minor leaguer José Rodríguez for one year for betting on baseball

Phillies minor league infielder José Rodríguez was suspended for one year on Tuesday for violating MLB’s betting rules and policy. In a statement, MLB said it conducted an investigation of five major and minor league players, all of whom were disciplined to varying degrees.

According to the release, betting data showed that Rodríguez placed 31 baseball bets on Sept. 30, 2021, and from June 5 through July 30, 2022. At the time the bets were placed, he was on a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox, and some of those 31 bets involved the White Sox major league team.

MLB said Rodríguez bet a total of $759.09 on baseball, $724.09 of that on major league games. The league said the 23-year-old infielder was not involved in any of the games he bet on, adding that “there is no evidence to suggest — and Rodríguez denies — that any outcomes in the baseball games on which he placed bets were compromised, influenced, or manipulated in any way.”

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The Phillies acquired Rodríguez in April via trade from the White Sox for cash considerations. He has been playing for double-A Reading, ranked No. 27 on the Phillies’ top 30 prospect list, and is on the 40-man roster.

“The Phillies were disappointed to learn of the matter involving José Rodríguez,” the team said in a statement. “While we cannot comment on the details, we fully support MLB’s sports betting policy and the need to adhere to all provisions of Rule 21. We will continue to educate all members of our organization regarding their obligations under the policy.”

According to Major League Rule 21, posted in every clubhouse, betting on any baseball game in which a player, umpire, league official, or team employee has no duty to perform results in a one-year suspension. Betting on a game in which the person has a duty to perform results in a lifetime ban.

Also Tuesday, San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned from baseball for life for betting on the sport. He became the first active player in a century banned for life because of gambling. MLB said he placed 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 in October 2022 and from last July through November with a legal sportsbook.

In addition to Rodríguez, three pitchers received one-year suspensions for betting on baseball: Jay Groome, a native of Barnegat, N.J., who plays in the San Diego organization, the Oakland Athletics’ Michael Kelly, and Arizona’s Andrew Saalfrank.

Commissioner Rob Manfred said the following in a statement released by MLB:

“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. The long-standing prohibition against betting on Major League Baseball games by those in the sport has been a bedrock principle for over a century. We have been clear that the privilege of playing in baseball comes with a responsibility to refrain from engaging in certain types of behavior that are legal for other people.

“Since the Supreme Court decision opened the door to legalized sports betting, we have worked with licensed sports betting operators and other third parties to put ourselves in a better position 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 programming and awareness initiatives with the goal of ensuring strict adherence to this fundamental rule of our game.”

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