San Diego Padres’ Tucupita Marcano Receives Lifetime Ban from MLB for Sports Betting
San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano faced a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball on Tuesday due to his violation of the league’s gambling policy. Additionally, four other individuals received one-year suspensions for unrelated bets made with a legal sportsbook.
The decision was made public following an investigation into Marcano’s wagers on baseball games, which allegedly took place last year while he was on the injured list recovering from a season-ending ACL injury sustained in July.
League officials revealed that Marcano had placed a total of 387 baseball bets, including 231 MLB-related wagers between October 16, 2022, and November 1, 2023, amounting to over $150,000. Despite being with the Pittsburgh Pirates at the time, he bet primarily on game outcomes and lost all parlay bets involving the Pirates, winning just 4.3% of MLB-related bets.
While Marcano was on the Pirates’ roster but injured, he placed 25 bets on Pirates games, violating MLB Rule 21. The rule stipulates a one-year suspension for betting on any baseball game in which the individual involved has no duty to perform. Betting on a game in which they do have a duty results in a lifetime ban.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred emphasized the importance of upholding the league’s integrity and stated, “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.”
Marcano, originally signed by the Padres as an amateur free agent in 2016, was traded to the Pirates in 2021 before returning to the Padres on waivers in November 2023.
He becomes the first active major leaguer banned under the sport’s gambling provision since New York Giants outfielder Jimmy O’Connell in 1924. Other players, including Pete Rose and Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly, faced consequences for similar infractions. The Padres expressed support for MLB’s sports betting policy and vowed to continue educating their organization members about their obligations under the policy.
